T20 World Cup: Virat
Kohli on song again as India beat Netherlands
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ICC Men's T20 World Cup Group 2, Sydney |
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India 179-2 (20 overs): Kohli 62* (44), Rohit 53 (39), Suryakumar 51* (25) |
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Netherlands 123-9 (20 overs): Pringle 20 (15), Bhuvneshwar 2-9, Axar 2-18 |
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India won by 56 runs |
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Scorecard. Tables |
Virat Kohli scored a brilliant unbeaten 62 as India cruised to a
56-run win over Netherlands in the Men's T20 World Cup.
Following on from his magnificent 82 not out against Pakistan,
Kohli timed his innings to perfection again in Sydney as he put on 73 with
Rohit Sharma and an unbroken 95 with Suryakumar Yadav.
After Rohit - dropped on 13 - had fallen for a rather disjointed
53 from 39 deliveries, Kohli kicked on, showing his full range of shots, and
brought up his 35th T20 international half-century from 37 balls.
For all Kohli's excellence, Suryakumar gave the raucous India
supporters just as much to cheer in a breathtaking knock and a huge six from
the last ball of the innings took him to a 25-ball fifty as India posted 179-2
from their 20 overs.
Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar started with a maiden and then a
wicket-maiden as, with a used pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting to
slow up, the Netherlands chase faltered from the off.
Bhuvneshwar finished with 2-9 from three overs and there were
also two wickets apiece for left-armer Arshdeep Singh and spinners Ravichandran
Ashwin and Axar Patel as Netherlands stuttered to 123-9.
Both sides now move on to Perth for games on Sunday. Netherlands will try to get off the mark in the Super 12s against Pakistan, while India can go a long way to clinching top spot in the group if they beat South Africa.
Classy Kohli picks up
where he left off
After his stunning
match-winning knock against Pakistan on Sunday, Kohli was at it again.
There might not have been the intense rivalry to ramp up the
atmosphere to quite the levels seen in Melbourne, but the India fans at the SCG
ensured this was anything but low-key - and they were rewarded with another
Kohli masterclass.
The former India skipper followed a similar gameplan to that
which proved so successful at the MCG, starting slowly before gradually
building up to his expansive best, and Rohit's dismissal was the trigger for
Kohli to really get going.
The 33-year-old thumped the first ball after the wicket back
over Tim Pringle's head for four, and was really in full flow by the time he
effortlessly lofted Fred Klaassen over extra cover for six the ball before
bringing up his fifty.
Another maximum, whipped over square leg in the last over, was
the topper and after watching Suryakumar clear the ropes again to end the
innings, Kohli was all smiles as he walked off.
After almost two years struggling for form, Kohli is back to his
very best. Ominous signs for their rivals as India march towards the
semi-finals.
