Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul hammer tons as India post imposing 410/4 against Netherlands
Shreyas Iyer (128* off 94) and KL Rahul (102 off 64) slammed brilliant tons as India posted a massive 410/4 after winning the toss and batting first against the Netherlands in the 2023 World Cup match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. In a thumping performance, all of India’s top five batters crossed the half-century mark.
Shreyas and Rahul came together with India at 200/3 in the 29th over. They added 208 before the latter perished off the penultimate ball of the innings. Shreyas looked in little trouble, easing to his half-century off 48 balls even as Rahul also kept finding boundaries at the other end.
In the 40th over, Shreyas hammered Paul van Meekeren (1/90) for a maximum over cover. Rahul then hit consecutive fours off Logan van Beek as he raced towards his fifty and India towards the 300-run mark.
With a single off Van Beek (0/107), Rahul became the fifth batter to cross fifty in the Indian innings. Shreyas jumped into the 90s by clobbering Van Meekeren for a maximum over long-on. He got to his maiden World Cup hundred off 84 balls, pulling De Leede for a single.
The duo went absolutely berserk in the last couple of overs. Shreyas slammed Van Beek for three sixes and a four as 25 runs came off the penultimate over.
Rahul began the last over by launching Bas de Leede (2/82) for consecutive maximums to bring up three figures off 62 balls. He thus broke Rohit Sharma’s record for the fastest World Cup hundred by an Indian batter - 63 balls vs Afghanistan earlier in the tournament.
Rohit, Gill, and Kohli set a solid platform for India
Batting first after winning the toss, Team India yet again got off to an impressive start as their openers added exactly 100 in under 12 overs. Skipper Rohit (61 off 54) continued playing in his aggressive fashion, smashing two fours off off-spinner Aryan Dutt (0/52) in the first over. In the off-spinner’s second over, Shubman Gill (51 off 32) charged down the track and launched him for a 95m six over long-on.
Sixteen runs came in the sixth over bowled by Van Beek as Gill smacked two fours and a six. The big hits kept flowing from both ends as India raced to 91/0 after 10 overs. Gill brought up his 50 off 30 balls, but fell soon after, hooking Van Meekeren to deep backward square leg, where Teja Nidamanuru took a brilliant leaping catch near the ropes.
Skipper Rohit eased past another half-century, but yet again failed to convert it into a big score. He miscued a pull off De Leede to wide long-on. Following Rohit’s exit, Virat Kohli (51 off 56) and Shreyas added 71 for the third wicket. Kohli looked in supreme form again and pulled off a bottom-hand pick-up shot for six off Van Beek in the 22nd over. He reached his 71st fifty with a single off van Meekeren to end the 28th over.
Roelof van der Merwe castled Kohli with a flat delivery as the batter stayed on the back foot and tried to slap one through the off side. Shreyas and Rahul then took over and sent the Dutch bowlers on a leather hunt.