Cricket: India beat Netherlands by 68 runs

6.00am

PAARL, South Africa - Sachin Tendulkar became the top run-scorer in World Cup history and Javagal Srinath claimed his 300th one-day international victim as India brushed off a bumbling batting display to beat the Netherlands by 68 runs this morning (NZ time)

India's batsmen, struggling for confidence, failed to impress in being dismissed for 204 on a two-paced pitch, Tendulkar top-scoring with 52 after being promoted to opener.

But the Dutch were soon in trouble in reply despite the crowd's support as they struggled to cope with the step-up in class.

Six of their top seven batsmen failed to score more than three as they were dismissed for 136 in the 48th over.

Opener Daan van Bunge, a 20-year-old student, held up India as he made 62. Anil Kumble and Srinath took four wickets.

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* India won the toss but made a slow start, with 8 runs off 5 overs and 28 off 10. Tendulkar opened up, flicking quick bowler Edgar Schiferli to midwicket to pass former Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad's career haul of 1,083 runs in World Cups. * Saurav Ganguly, rooted to the crease, was caught behind off a Roland Lefebvre off-cutter for 8 before Virender Sehwag, on 6, hit a full toss from medium pacer Feiko Kloppenburg and was caught by diving Bas Zuiderent at point.

* Tendulkar, on 52, attempted to cut de Leede's slow-medium and gloved a rearing delivery to wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits. 86-3 after 25 overs.

* De Leede bowled Rahul Dravid, 17, with a ball which kept low. 91-4. Mohammad Kaif, on nine, flicked a full toss from off spinner Adeel Raja to short-midwicket. 147-5 after 40 overs.

* India's last five wickets fell for 35 runs, including two run-outs. Juvraj Singh (37) put on 55 for the sixth wicket with Dinesh Mongia (42).

* India 204 all out, 48.5 overs. Tim de Leede, a batsman who bowls medium pace, took 4-35.

* Netherlands reply -- with his fourth ball Srinath had Kloppenburg caught at second slip for his 300th wicket. 0-1.

* Srinath angled a ball across Henk Mol, wwicketkeeper Dravid diving across first slip for the edge. 29-2. * Zuiderent, the team's only professional, lasted 6 balls for not runs, caught off Zaheer Khan by Sehwag in the slips.

* De Leede failed to read a Harbhajan Singh top-spinner and was caught behind, the third duck. 38-4. Kumble took 3 wickets in 4 overs. 54-7. Schiferli caught at midwicket off Kumble, 82-8.

* The Netherlands, intent on survival, earned big applause for reaching 100 in the 35th over. Van Bunge reached 50 off 101 balls before falling to Srinath on the verge of carrying his bat.

Netherlands



F.Kloppenburg c Sehwag b Srinath 0

D.van Bunge b Srinath 62

H.Mol c Dravid b Srinath 2

B.Zuiderent c Sehwag b Zaheer Khan 0

T.de Leede c Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 0

L.van Troost c Dravid b Kumble 1

R.Scholte lbw b Kumble 1

R.Lefebvre lbw b Kumble 3

E.Schiferli c Mongia b Kumble 13

J.Smits c Sehwag b Srinath 26 A.Raja not out 0

Extras (b-2 w-18 nb-2 lb-6) 28

Total (all out, 48.1 overs) 136

Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-29 3-31 4-38 5-42 6-44 7-54 8-82 9-131

Bowling: Srinath 9.1-1-30-4, Khan 8-1-17-1, Harbhajan Singh 10-1-20-1, Kumble 10-1-32-4, Ganguly 4-0-14-0, Tendulkar 4-0-9-0, Sehwag 3-0-6-0



India



S.Ganguly c Smits b Lefebvre 8

S.Tendulkar c Smits b de Leede 52

V.Sehwag c Zuiderent b Kloppenburg 6

R.Dravid b de Leede 17

Yuvraj Singh c & b Raja 37

M.Kaif c Lefebvre b Raja 9

D.Mongia run out 42

Harbhajan Singh b de Leede 13

A.Kumble run out 9

Z.Khan lbw b de Leede 0

J.Srinath not out 0

Extras (w-8 nb-1 lb-2) 11

Total (all out, 48.5 overs) 204

Fall of wickets: 1-30 2-56 3-81 4-91 5-114 6-169 7-186 8-203 9-204

Bowling: Schiferli 10-2-49-0, Lefebvre 9-1-27-1, de Leede 9.5-0-35-4, Kloppenburg 10-0-40-1, Raja 9-0-47-2, van Troost 1-0-4-0



Result: India won by 68 runs.


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