If you held any doubts about Australia's bounce back in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, dispel them now. After Wednesday's performance, the five-time champions are well and truly in reckoning for the title. In a typically dominating all-round show, the Aussies absolutely pulverized Netherlands with bat and ball to hand them a 309-run defeat. First, Australia's high-profile batters David Warner and Glenn Maxwell unleashed carnage in the afternoon with breathtaking centuries. Warner struck a 93-ball 104 and Maxwell later bludgeoned 106 off just 44 balls to take their side to 399/8. An Adam Zampa-led bowling attack then shot out the Dutch for a paltry total of 90. Catch the highlights of the AUS vs NED match here. (Scorecard | Match Report | Full Coverage)
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Brief Scores: Australia 399/8 in 50 overs (Glenn Maxwell 106, David Warner 104; Logan van Beek 74/4). Netherlands 90 all out in 21 overs (Vikramjit Singh 25; Adam Zampa 4/8, Mitchell Marsh 2/19). Australia won by 309 runs.
8:25pm: NED 90 all out, 21 Overs
It's all over in Delhi. Australia have blown away the Netherlands batting with a clinical bowling performance. Every single bowler was among the wickets, but Adam Zampa was the wrecker-in-chief as he scalped four to help skittle the Dutch for a paltry total of 90. Australia have won the match by a whopping 309 runs.
7:24pm: NED 48/3 - Overs 1-10 Highlights
Australia have dealt three early blows to Netherlands in their unlikely pursuit of 400. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins have picked up a wicket apiece to leave the Dutch in a spot of bother early doors.
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6:05pm: AUS 399/8 - Overs 41-50 Highlights
Glenn Maxwell simply went berserk at the death. The hard-hitting Australian batter hammered a 40-ball century to take apart the Dutch bowling in the last 10 overs, of which 131 runs were scored. Australia went from a strong to a virtually unbeatable position in the space of those 60 balls. It now remains to be seen whether Netherlands can put up a fight in front of such a formidable total.
5:14pm: AUS 268-5 - 31-40 Overs Highlights
Marnus Labuschagne got to his 9th ODI fifty but he could not stay long at the crease as Bas de Leede scalped his wicket. David Warner scored his 22nd ODI ton but soon fell to Van Beek. The Dutch scalped a few wickets in the middle overs as Australia, who were eyeing a huge score, were stalled by some brilliant bit of pressure from Netherlands' bowlers.
4:20pm: AUS 192/2 - 21-30 Overs Highlights
Roelof van der Merwe claimed a low catch off Warner but the third umpire ruled it not out as the visuals showed the ball was touching the ground. But the spinner had the last laugh as he claimed another low catch but this time, Steve Smith was deemed out by the third umpire.
3:30pm: AUS 124/1 - 11-20 Overs Highlights
Despite the early wicket, Steve Smith and David Warner have held firm against the Netherlands. Warner and Smith have reached respecitve half-centuries. Max O'Dowd missed a chance to run-out the Aussie batters as he fumbled on the ball. Smith scores his first fifty of the 2023 WC.
2:40pm: AUS 66/1 - 1-10 Overs Highlights
Australian captain Pat Cummins opted to bat first after winning the toss on a placid track in Kotla. Openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh were cautious in approach but the latter was out caught in the fourth over off the bowling of Ackermann. Steve Smith walked in to the crease and has looked in sublime touch that included three fours of Logan van Beek.
1:38pm: Skippers Talk
Here's what the AUS and NED skippers said at the toss.
Cummins: We will have a bat. Looks like a lovely wicket. The sun is out. Happy with the way we have played the last couple of games. The bridge is still too far for Head. Stoinis has a niggly calf. Cam Green comes in.
Edwards: We were looking to bowl first. Team is in good place. We have played good cricket but not for long enough. We would want to rectify that. The boys would want to do well. No changes.
1:34pm: Toss Update and Playing XIs
Australia's Pat Cummins has won the toss and opted to bat first.
Netherlands (Playing XI): Vikramjit Singh, Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards(w/c), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
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1:25pm: Pitch Report
Waqar Younis and Pommie Mbangwa reckon on air, "The short square boundary is 61m, the other side is 69m. The straight hit is 72m and the longest is 76m. Same pitch as Sri Lanka and South Africa. Last time we had more grass, it was harder. This is less grass and less hard. A little sheen as well on the pitch. It should be a hard job for the bowlers, feels Waqar Younis. So another batting beauty and expect plenty of runs."
1:04pm: Weather Update
Delhi will be warm, though not as unforgiving as Mumbai. The maximum temperature is expected to be around 31 degrees Celsius and the minimum close to 19 degrees. There is no chance of rain, but the air quality will most likely be poor.
12:43pm: Pitch Conditions
There have been 29 games played at this venue, with the pace bowlers scalping only 238 wickets at an average of 33.86 while spinners have taken 139 wickets at an average of 31.37. Teams batting first and chasing have won 14 games each while one game ended in no-result.
12:34pm: Head-to-head Records
In two games played between the two teams, Australia have won both games while Netherlands are yet to claim a victory.
Preview:
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Australia take on the Netherlands in the match 24 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. A major boost ahead of their game will be the arrival of Travis Head, who was seen in practice in the nets. Australia have played four with having won two and lost two. They sit pretty in the top four and know another win here, would really boost their chances of a semi-final berth. However, Pat Cummins' side know this World Cup is full of 'upsets' at the moment.
Afghanistan beat England at the very same venue few weeks ago and the Netherlands know about beating a side or two as well. The Dutch might have had a 'close' game in their 5-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, but their batting has been 'Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde' throughout this tournament. Scott Edwards' side need a good performance against the five-time champions, who are on a roll. Aussies beat Pakistan convincingly and have been boosted by the arrival of opener Travis Head. The Aussies have played the Dutch twice and the men from Down Under have won on both occasions. The pitch at the Arun Jaitley Stadium mostly assists the batters so expect another run-feast. David Warner knows the conditions very well, with his time with Delhi Capitals in the IPL and could have an added advantage going into this fixture.
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Teams:
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c & wk), Colin Ackermann, Wesley Barresi (wk), Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Ryan Klein, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O'Dowd, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren and Vikramjit Singh.
