Virat Kohli hits another half-century as India ease to victory over Netherlands in T20 World Cup | Cricket News

Virat Kohli followed his spellbinding innings against Pakistan with another half-century as India coasted to a 56-run victory over Netherlands to make it two wins from two at the T20 World Cup.

Kohli’s 82 not out from 53 deliveries against Pakistan on Sunday dragged India to a remarkable last-ball victory at a packed-out MCG in one of the most dramatic T20 internationals of all time.

Thursday’s fixture at the SCG was less competitive, with Kohli’s 62 not out from 44 balls, plus Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 51 from 25 and skipper Rohit Sharma’s 53 off 39, propelling India to 179-2 from their 20 overs before Netherlands could only make 123-9 in reply.

Netherlands – beaten in both of their Super 12 matches so far, having suffered a nine-run defeat to Bangladesh in their opening fixture – limited India to 38-1 after seven overs, although they squandered the chance to remove Rohit on 13 with Tim Pringle shelling a catch at mid-on off the bowling of Fred Klaassen.

Rohit then successfully overturned an lbw dismissal off Logan van Beek on 27 by virtue of an inside edge, before he ignited in the 10th over with successive boundaries off short balls from Bas de Leede.

Back-to-back fours off Pringle in the next took Rohit to a 35-ball fifty and although he holed out to deep midwicket at the end of the 12th, ending a partnership of 73 from 56 balls with Kohli, Kohli and Suryakumar’s unbroken alliance of 95 across the final eight overs ended the innings with a flourish.

Kohli clinched a 37-ball fifty during a 16-run Klaassen over, while Surykumar raced to a 25-ball half-century when he whipped the final ball of the innings, bowled by Van Beek, for six over deep backward square to conclude a 17-run over.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-9) sent down a maiden at the start of the Netherlands innings before bowling a pulling Vikramjit Singh (1) in the third over, with spinners Ravichandran Ashwin (2-21) and Axar Patel (2-18) then dismissing the rest of the top order.

Top-scorer Pringle (20 off 15) was caught by Kohli at mid-off off Mohammed Shami after hitting the sole six of the Netherlands innings, off Ashwin over long-on, an over earlier.

Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh (2-37) was on a hat-trick after bouncing out Van Beek (3) and then trapping Klaassen (0) lbw at the end of the 18th over.

Arshdeep missed out on that milestone and was subsequently clubbed for three consecutive fours by Paul van Meekeren (14no) at the end of the game.

Sunday 30th October 10:30am

What’s next?

India face South Africa in a mouth-watering match in Perth on Sunday (11am UK time), with Netherlands in action on the same ground earlier earlier in the day against Pakistan (7am UK time).