With their place in the Super 8s confirmed following a crushing victory over Pakistan, top-ranked India now turn their attention to the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, seeking a more complete performance before the tournament intensifies.
India sit comfortably atop Group A with three wins and a commanding net run rate. Yet, despite their dominance, there remains a sense that this batting line-up has not fully clicked.
Abhishek Sharma is yet to open his account in the competition, enduring back-to-back ducks, while Tilak Varma’s tentative approach against spin has raised mild concern ahead of sterner tests. Add to that a spate of dropped catches that has visibly frustrated some of the senior players, and there are areas head coach Gautam Gambhir will want tidied up before the Super 8s.
At the Narendra Modi Stadium — the world’s largest cricket arena — Suryakumar Yadav will expect a sharper, more clinical display against a Dutch side playing largely for pride.
If there is reassurance for India, it lies in their resilience under pressure.
Against USA in Mumbai, India were reeling at 77/6 in the 13th over before Suryakumar produced a counter-attacking masterclass to lift the total to 161/9 — a score that proved decisive.
Versus Namibia in Delhi, early wickets again threatened instability. Sanju Samson fell cheaply and Tilak laboured through 25 off 21 balls, but Ishan Kishan’s explosive 61 from 24 deliveries, followed by Hardik Pandya’s 52 off 28, transformed the innings.
The Pakistan clash followed a similar script. Another early dismissal for Abhishek made little difference as Kishan once again dominated, smashing 77 off 40 balls in a commanding total. India’s batting order, though not yet firing collectively, has repeatedly found a match-winner. That depth remains their greatest asset.
There were positives with the ball as well. The decision to include Kuldeep Yadav against Pakistan — even at the cost of Arshdeep Singh — suggested tactical flexibility. On a surface where two seamers were sufficient, Kuldeep’s control complemented Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy, both of whom returned to wicket-taking form.
It was a balanced display, even if aided by Pakistan’s own batting frailties.
For Netherlands, this campaign could have looked very different. They let Pakistan off the hook in the tournament opener with several costly fielding lapses — a defeat that effectively derailed hopes of pushing for a Super 8 berth. A heavy loss to USA compounded their troubles, leaving this final group fixture as an opportunity to restore pride rather than reshape the standings.
India are overwhelming favourites and should finish the first round unbeaten. But beyond the comfortable wins lies a reminder: sharper fielding, early runs from Abhishek and a more fluent Tilak against spin would make this side significantly more formidable.
The rivalry noise of Colombo has faded. In Ahmedabad, it is about refinement. Because the real examination begins in the Super 8s.
