india vs netherlands: Dube's all‑round blast seals perfect group run for India
Shivam Dube produced a match‑defining all‑round display as India secured a 17‑run victory over the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, finishing Group A with a perfect record and advancing to the Super 8s unbeaten.
Dube anchors recovery with brutal hitting
India’s innings threatened to unravel early when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck and Ishan Kishan followed soon after, leaving the hosts 69‑3. Tilak Varma and captain Suryakumar Yadav steadied the ship with a measured 30‑run stand, but it was Dube who altered the game with a late‑over assault.
Arriving with momentum to manufacture, Dube smashed a rapid 66 off 31 balls, striking six sixes and four fours and racing to his fifty in 25 deliveries. He took advantage of a relatively slow Dutch attack, puncturing the innings with bold aerial strokes and rotating strike effectively. A crucial partnership with Hardik Pandya — worth 76 off 35 balls — pushed India to a competitive 193‑6. The Netherlands’ Logan van Beek finished as the most expensive among the quicks but picked up three wickets.
Spin and nerves snuff out the chase
The Netherlands started their reply positively, with several batsmen reaching the twenties and building hope of a chase. Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd and Colin Ackermann each posted useful contributions, while Bas de Leede top‑scored for the visitors with 33 off 23. Zach Lion‑Cachet and an unbeaten Noah Croes kept the contest alive late on with quickfire cameos.
However, India seized control in the middle overs. Mystery leg‑spinner Varun Chakravarthy produced a decisive spell, taking 3‑14 in his three overs to snuff out partnerships and tilt momentum back to the hosts. Dube continued his influence with the ball as well, returning 2‑35 from three overs to stem the late surge. The Dutch ended on 176‑7, leaving India a 17‑run margin of victory.
Implications and takeaways
The win completes a flawless group campaign for India and extends their winning run in this tournament format into double figures since 2024. The match underscored the value of depth in the Indian lineup: after early setbacks, middle‑order power and all‑round contributions converted a precarious position into a strong total.
For the Netherlands, there were encouraging signs: several batters posted valuable starts and the lower‑order showed intent in the closing overs. But the middle phase remains a vulnerability when facing high‑quality spin and disciplined death bowling. The Dutch will need to refine those phases as they pursue the remainder of the tournament.
India will head into the Super 8s with renewed belief from both their batting depth and spin options. Dube’s performance offered a reminder of the match‑winning impact of genuine all‑rounders, while Chakravarthy’s middle‑over control highlighted how spin can define T20 momentum even on surfaces that often favour big hitting.
