Thursday, March 10, 2011

India pack off Netherlands for 189

NEW DELHI, Mar 9 (AFP): India relied on a pace-spin combination to bowl out the Netherlands for a below-par 189 in their World Cup match Wednesday.

Spinners Piyush Chawla and Yuvraj Singh shared four wickets while fast bowler Zaheer Khan grabbed 3-20 after Dutch captain Peter Borren selected to bat before a 30,000 crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

Borren offered the only fight with a late cameo of 38 runs off 36 balls, with three fours and two sixes, in an otherwise unsatisfactory batting performance by the Netherlands on a placid track.

A win in this day-night clash will close to assure India of a place in the quarterfinals. The Netherlands have lost all their three matches so far and languish at the bottom of the Group B table without a point.

The Dutch were off to a steady start with openers Eric Szwarczynski and Wesley Barresi negotiating India's bowling attack with amazing ease in the first 15 overs. Szwarczynski, one of two changes in the Netherlands team, hit Zaheer for two fours in an over and looked composed until he was bowled by a googly from leg-spinner Chawla. Szwarczynski made 28 with four fours and shared 56 runs for the opening wicket with Barresi.

Yuvraj struck in his very first over when he had Barresi (26) trapped leg before for his 100th wicket in one-day internationals.

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