India vs Netherlands in ICC World Cup 2011 today

Unbeaten India aim to steamroll the Netherlands, the lone team without a point in Group B, here on Wednesday to step closer to a quarter-final berth. Two points from the encounter would almost ensure the home side a berth in the second stage.

But the Dutch captain sounded a warning by saying that his team, which has performed below par, has the talent to play competitive cricket. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose team is currently atop the pool with five points from three matches, says he was anticipating an easy win over the supposedly weakest of the seven teams in the pool. “We want to make the most of this game and especially in the departments where we want to see an improvement [read bowling]. We should not really be thinking about the result but the process — what are the things we want to get out of it,” Dhoni said at a pre-match press conference.

Although India have beaten Bangladesh and Ireland, besides the ‘tie’ with England, they haven’t looked on top of their game in all three departments at the same time. While the batting has clicked in all the games, it is the bowling and the fielding that is causing concern. Further, India still don’t know how pacer Ashish Nehra, who has been struggling with a back problem, would perform in a match situation. But Dhoni insists that India would go with the “best team” on Wednesday.

The question is: Will Dhoni give Nehra his first opportunity in the tournament in front of his home crowd, provided he’s fit? If Dhoni is aiming to field the best XI, Nehra has to be in the side.

The skipper also said on Tuesday that he would like to test all 15 players in the league stage itself. It will be India’s fourth game on Wednesday and after that they have encounters with South Africa and West Indies left. So, effectively, Nehra should get an opportunity at the Ferozeshah Kotla, a ground he knows inside out. His local fans would be hoping that Dhoni lives up to his word, since he said on Tuesday that he it would be unfair to rest any of the local players — Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir or Virat Kohli.

Regarding Suresh Raina, who is also yet to play a match in the World Cup, Dhoni said: “It's difficult to make a place for Raina. In that case you have to request Virat, Gambhir or Sehwag to take a rest, which none of them would like because it's their home ground,” he said.

India will again be banking on their strong batting line-up to set up a win. Of the specialist batsmen, only Yusuf Pathan hasn’t got enough time to spend at the crease and Dhoni said that he would like to see the hard-hitting batsman play more deliveries.

Even after the batsmen put up 330-plus totals against Bangladesh and England, the bowlers did not look like running through the opponents. Bangladesh were not disgraced in defeat while England rallied brilliantly to ‘tie’ the game. And Dhoni on Tuesday admitted that the win over Ireland wasn’t a cakewalk either.

The Netherlands and Kenya in Group A are the only teams yet to open their accounts. After starting promisingly by putting up 292 against a good English bowling attack, the inexperienced Dutch batsmen lost the plot and managed totals of 115 and 120 against West Indies and South Africa respectively. “Hopefully, we will be competitive tomorrow,” said Borren.