Team India posted their biggest total of ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday against the Netherlands as the home side reached 410/4 in 50 overs. KL Rahul made 102 off just 64 deliveries while Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 128 from 94 deliveries.
The Men in Blue posted their second-highest score at the World Cups in Bengaluru -- only behind 413/5 posted against Bermuda in the 2007 edition of the tournament.
Team India posted their biggest total of ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on Sunday against the Netherlands as the home side reached 410/4 in 50 overs. KL Rahul made 102 off just 64 deliveries while Shreyas Iyer remained unbeaten on 128 from 94 deliveries.
The Men in Blue posted their second-highest score at the World Cups in Bengaluru -- only behind 413/5 posted against Bermuda in the 2007 edition of the tournament.
After Virat Kohli fell for 51 off 56 balls in the 28th over, Rahul joined Iyer in the middle and the duo made a 208-run stand. The partnership was only broken in the second last delivery of the innings when KL Rahul was caught near the boundary.
Veteran Roelof van der Merwe was the only Dutch bowler who was respected by the aggressive Indian batters (10-0-53-1). He also bagged the prized wicket of Kohli. Bas de Leede picked up two wickets (82/2) while Paul van Meekeren (90/1) got the other wicket that fell.
India vs Netherlands ICC ODI World Cup: As it happened in before innings break
The journey of Iyer and Rahul was made easier by the early onslaught of Rohit and Gill and the pragmatism of Kohli.
24-year-old Gill began the carnage by slamming a six each off pacer Van Beek and Dutt, with the second maximum hitting the roof of the venue over mid-wicket.
As Gill was super smooth at the other end, Rohit took a few minutes to settle down, particularly against Van Beek who gave the Indian skipper a couple of tough moments with bouncy nip-backers.
However, soon Rohit slipped into overdrive to punish the Netherlands bowlers.
But the ambition to accelerate led to the downfall of both Rohit and Gill, giving catches to the deep. But Kohli and Shreyas added 71 runs off 66 balls to keep India chugging.
Just as Kohli looked primed for that much-anticipated 50-ODI hundred landmark, Van der Merwe castled him with a skidder that rushed under his downcoming bat.
- With PTI inputs
