India vs Netherlands, World Cup 2023: Five things to look forward to in final league match of tournament

India face Netherlands in Bengaluru on Sunday in what will be the final group-stage match of the ongoing ICC World Cup.

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Sunday’s contest at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium doesn’t have much context as far as the qualification to the knockouts is concerned. The Men in Blue not only were the first team to book their place in the semi-finals, they are also assured a top-of-the-table finish thanks to their solid performances throughout the campaign.

And the Rohit Sharma-led side would certainly be forgiven if they had their sights set on a semi-final clash against New Zealand in Mumbai already even if they had a match left in the league stage.

Netherlands, meanwhile, are already out of reckoning as far as the semi-finals are concerned, and there isn’t much at stake for them other than bowing out with another upset victory, having pulled off a remarkable victory against South Africa in Dharamsala last month. That and a top-eight finish on the table that will guarantee them participation in another ICC event.

While the semi-finalists have largely been decided (and will not be officially confirmed until the end of Saturday’s Australia-Bangladesh and England-Pakistan matches), there are other things to look forward to in the final league match of the showpiece event.

Here’s more on that:

Men in Blue’s undefeated streak

India have been the team to beat in the ongoing World Cup, and are currently the only team to have not lost a single match throughout their campaign in eight outings. The only time India were in a spot of bother was when they were reduced to 2/3 after being set 200 to win by Australia in their very first match. The Men in Blue made a superb recovery in that chase thanks to Virat Kohli and KL Rahul’s game-changing partnership, and the two-time world champions have not looked back since. They will be hoping to enter the semi-finals with their unbeaten run intact, though they certainly will hope not to get that first ‘L’ in the matches that matter the most.

Virat Kohli’s record ton

Virat Kohli made his 35th birthday in the match against South Africa at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens all the more special by smashing his 49th ODI hundred going level with Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record. Against the Netherlands on Sunday, Kohli will hope to go one step further than his idol and mentor with an unprecedented 50th ODI century, which will also be his third in the ongoing edition. That he will be bringing up the century at his adopted home ground of the Chinnaswamy will make the milestone knock all the more special.

Netherlands’ Champions Trophy qualification

The Netherlands are already out of reckoning as far as the semi-finals are concerned, having been officially knocked out after their 160-run defeat against England earlier this week. That does not mean the match does not hold any context for Scott Edwards’ valiant Dutchmen.

They still find themselves in the mad scramble for a top-eight finish that includes defending champions England, former champions Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Netherlands will be following Saturday’s matches between Australia and Bangladesh and England and Pakistan closely and will have a clearer picture of what they need to do to qualify.

Netherlands’ maiden victory over India

Even if they don’t end up qualifying for the Champions Trophy that is set to return after an eight-year gap and will take place in Pakistan, Netherlands could still end their campaign on a high by becoming the first team to defeat hosts India in this World Cup. It will be fitting for them to have registered victories against two of the most clinical teams in this tournament so far. What’s more, Netherlands are yet to defeat India in any format, having faced them in two ODIs and a T20I, the first of which was in the 2003 World Cup. So maybe they could open their account on that front as well.

Another game for Ashwin/Kishan?

India haven’t made too many tweaks to their playing XI throughout the tournament, and have opted to back the same XI unless it’s a forced change due to injury, as was the case with Hardik Pandya which led the Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami being drafted into the XI. With a top spot already guaranteed for the Men in Blue however, there could be a temptation for skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid to give a couple of their first-team players some rest ahead of the all-important semi-final.

Ravichandran Ashwin hasn’t made a single appearance since his economical haul of 1/34 against Australia at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, his home ground, and might be given another opportunity. There might be another opportunity for Ishan Kishan too. The keeper-bat had opened in Shubman Gill’s absence in the first two games against Australia and Afghanistan and has been benched since.