Big picture: Distraction over, India set eyes on fireworks
No matter how good you are or how likely you are to win or how forgiving the schedule is, a World Cup brings its own unique challenges and stakes, especially at home, especially given the current geopolitics of the region this home is in. India have been comfortable victors in all three matches so far but haven't yet been able to unleash the style of play that they want to.
The last of these three matches was one in which India had all to lose. Nothing rode on the match against Pakistan in terms of progression or whom they face in the Super Eights, yet they couldn't afford to lose. Such overwhelming favourites losing to underdogs in the current geopolitical climate would have been massive outside the purview of this tournament. A win, however, merely reaffirmed their status as the favourites.
Now India will look to go back to try to score big. They haven't yet scored more than 209 despite batting first in all three games. Ahmedabad at night is the perfect scenario for them. Four of the last five first innings in Ahmedabad in the night have been over 210.
Netherlands will want to prove they are not mere props, a vehicle to see how much India can push the limits of what scores are absurd. They were within one catch of beating Pakistan, they beat Namibia, and will want to show they are no pushovers.
India will want to bat first should they win the toss, but it will be interesting to see whether Netherlands want to avoid an impossible target or do what teams do to give themselves the best chance to win in the night in Ahmedabad.
Form guide
India WWWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Namibia LWLLL
In the spotlight: Abhishek Sharma and Aryan Dutt
He is the best T20 batter in the world, but Abhishek Sharma's initiation to the World Cup has been an inauspicious one: golden duck, stomach illness, four-ball duck. And it doesn't say anything about Abhishek's skill or temperament. It is just one of those things. But Abhishek will want to get it out of the way so it doesn't weigh on him in the Super Eights.
Netherlands will look to borrow from Abhishek's first two dismissals in the World Cup. As it is, they like to open the bowling with offspinner Aryan Dutt. After Salman Agha tied Abhishek down for three balls and got him out off the fourth, this belief will be reaffirmed. Do mind, though, that Ahmedabad is no Colombo. You can trust yourself to clear the infield on this batting paradise.
Team news: Arshdeep to replace Kuldeep?
Outside of Harshit Rana's last-minute injury and withdrawal from the tournament, all other availability issues that India faced are now sorted. The only change they will likely make is go back to Arshdeep Singh ahead of Kuldeep Yadav on the quicker Ahmedabad surface.
India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.
Netherlands have been alternating between Timm van der Gugten and Kyle Klein in their first three matches. Paul van Meekeren has played only one of their three matches, making way for left-arm quick Fred Klaasen. It will eventually come down to two of three quicks.
Netherlands (probable): 1 Michael Levitt, 2 Max O'Dowd, 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Scott Edwards (capt & wk), 6 Zach Lion-Cachet, 7 Logan van Beek, 8 Aryan Dutt, 9 Roelof van der Merwe, 10 and 11 two out of Kyle Klein, Fred Klaassen and Paul van Meekeren.
Pitch and conditions
Ahmedabad has lived up to its reputation for runs. There have been two night matches there so far. South Africa posted 213 in one, New Zealand looked good to get there but collapsed twice to end with 175, which proved to be grossly inadequate.
Stats and trivia
India have now won 16 consecutive matches at limited-overs ICC tournament matches. The last match they lost was the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. They have now surpassed Australia's 15-match streak built across the 2006 ODI Champions Trophy and the 2007 ODI World Cup.
India have played Netherlands four times in international cricket, winning on all four occasions.
