IND v NED, World Cup 2023: Invincible India hammer Netherlands by 160 runs

India came up with another intimidating show with both bat and ball as they outclassed the Netherlands by 160 runs in their final league game of World Cup 2023. On Diwali, the stands at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium were packed to the rafters and the crowd enjoyed the fireworks from the Indian batters before the bowlers came up with a clinical show on a good batting pitch in Bengaluru.

With the big win on the festival day, India became the first team to go unbeaten in the league stage of a World Cup featuring a single round-robin format. Rohit Sharma's men made a statement of intent with 9 wins on the trot before they head to Mumbai to take on New Zealand in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

India promised no dip in intensity ahead of their final league match and the hunger to make it 9 out of 9 was on display in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Riding on Shreyas Iyer's 128 not out and KL Rahul's 62-ball hundred, India posted their second-biggest World Cup total - 410. There was no stopping the show of aggression from the Indian batters as they scripted a new World Cup record. For the first time in the history of



the tournament, all batters in the top 5 of an innings hit at least a fifty as India made the most of the early advantage of winning the toss and opting to bat on a batter-friendly surface.

India faced one of their tougher challenges with the ball as the spirited Netherlands, who impressed with wins over South Africa and Bangladesh, came up with a respectable batting show, posting 250 in 47.5 overs.

Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav picked up 2 wickets each while Jasprit Bumrah contributed with a double scalp. In a double delight for fans on the festival day, Virat Kohli hit 51 and rolled his arm ver, picking up a wicket, his first in World Cups as he got the opposition captain Scott Edwards.

Rohit Sharma also tried his hand at bowling and got the final wicket to finish things off on Diwali.

The Netherlands lost the wicket of Wesley Berresi as early as the 2nd over as Mohammed Siraj steamed in and produced an outside edge. It looked like India would roll over another team after having bundled out Sri Lanka for 55 and South Africa for 83 earlier in the World Cup.