Exposure and expectation collide in Ahmedabad

The mathematical possibilities aside, for all practical purposes, Netherlands' chances of qualifying for the Super Eights in the ongoing T20 World Cup have been ground to dust. Their inability to squeeze out a victory against Pakistan, and being outplayed by the USA, has put them in such a position ahead of their final group game. Yet, the match against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday remains an important one for their campaign.

Netherlands have played India twice in World Cups since 2022, and one of their biggest challenges in these contests has been to handle the pressure of playing in front of big crowds. The stadium in Ahmedabad promises the biggest turnout they are likely to ever witness, and instead of getting nervous about the occasion, they are hoping for the stands to fill up as much as possible.

The 'exposure' they hope to get through this experience aside, the large crowds are what they want in their quest for long-term growth as a cricketing nation, one which has been in and around as one of the strongest Associate nations since the 1990s, making regular appearances at World Cups, and if England and South Africa's versions are anything to go by, of being the most reliable giant killers in these tournaments.

Several attempts to convince local businesses that their qualification to the tournament was a big deal fell on deaf ears. The imagination couldn't stretch far enough to understand what it meant when sponsorship proposals attempted to explain 'It's like a football World Cup in Brazil'.

For the first time, all matches of the cricket World Cup are being streamed live on NOS, the state-sponsored channel of the Netherlands. And when they play against India, the disparity in the sport will be starkly visible, and available for everyone to see; the resources of the rich and the skills of those pursuing the sport frugally with alternate jobs, the professionals and the amateurs. In this visibility and moment, they will hope to shine.

If the Netherlands players are able to withstand the pressures from the crowd, and the onslaught from the opposition, there will be scope to showcase why they are not a team to be taken lightly. Their giant-killer punch is due before the afscheid, if nothing else, just to keep alive the hopes of qualifying against much expectation.

What to expect: Ahmedabad has the highest runs per over (9.38) and the second-best runs/wicket ratio (28.84) among all venues in the competition. The average first innings score in three games at the venue so far has been 192, all involving South Africa. Spinners, especially, have borne the brunt of the batters, more than in any other venue. They have averaged 41.1 and conceded runs at 9.34 in these games. The ease with which South Africa chased down New Zealand's total should be an inviting prospect for the Indian batters.

With their qualification already secured, and with nothing at stake from the contest, India have the option to offer some game-time to their players on the bench. It's also an opportunity for them to rest certain players whom they wish to have operating in full efficiency from the next round. However, with an eye on the encounter against South Africa at the same venue four days later, and a potential final, India want to give as much experience of the conditions to their core set of players.

"It's a massive opportunity to be playing against India in India at the biggest stadium, it is something all the guys are really looking forward to. It's a great opportunity to test yourselves against the best. Obviously, soccer is the main sport and we probably will never get to that level, but for us it's just promoting the game, and hopefully our performances can help grow that game in the Netherlands," - Scott Edwards, Netherlands captain

"I don't think there'll be experiments or anything... Every match is important for us. On this ground, after this, the next match is on the 22nd. And the final can be here. So obviously, it is good for the players to get used to this condition," - Shitanshu Kotak, India batting coach

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