🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #24: Australia vs Netherlands 🏏

Now, no more shocks and surprises. Only talent and hard work pay off. That was decisively proven in last night's encounter.

Today's match is another such game! It is between former lions and the upcoming tiger cubs.

Let's see how it's going to be narrated this evening.

🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #24: Australia vs Netherlands 🏏

Australia and Netherlands will lock horns in the 24th match of ICC World Cup 2023 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Australia will be squaring off against the Netherlands for the first time in the twenty-fourth match of the ICC World Cup 2023.

Australia hadn't brought their campaign back on track in the World Cup following the two unflattering performances to kick off the tournament against India and South Africa.

Australia is currently placed in the fourth position on the points table of the ICC World Cup 2023, whereas the Netherlands is currently placed in the eighth spot on the points table.

Australia played four matches in the ICC World Cup 2023 where they won two matches, while the Netherlands also played four matches in this tournament, where they managed to win a single game.

Australia played their last game against Pakistan, and they won that game by 62 runs. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh hammered 163 runs and 121 runs, respectively, for Australia in that game.

On the other hand, the Netherlands played their last match against Sri Lanka where Sri Lanka beat them by 5 wickets.

Sybrand Engelbrecht and Logan van Beek managed to score 70 runs and 59 runs, respectively, for the Netherlands in that game.

These two teams have played 2 games against each other in this format so far, with Australia winning both of those matches against the Netherlands while the Netherlands still searching for their first victory.

Tag Credit: Sutapasima

The Netherlands and Australia share a unique cricketing connection, one that's built on a blend of players and influences. Although they've met only twice in ODIs, this relationship has intriguing facets. The Netherlands' captain, Scott Edwards, is an Australian citizen, originating from Melbourne and even importing an Australian Football League club's song into the team's culture. Moreover, Australian domestic players and coaches like Ryan Campbell, Tom Cooper, Timm van der Gugten, Michael Swart, and Dirk Nannes have left their mark on Dutch cricket.

In their upcoming World Cup encounter, the Netherlands seeks to continue their streak of triumphs, having already beaten South Africa. Meanwhile, Australia is eager to keep their momentum alive, as they've faced some stiff competition against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The two teams have a limited history of ODI encounters, but their warm-up clash, featuring a Mitchell Starc hat-trick, was an eye-catcher. Although the two sides have ties, this World Cup match carries weight, especially with Australia's bowlers struggling in the powerplay and the Delhi pitch favouring batsmen. The return of Travis Head and Max O'Dowd's form will be points of interest. This match is set to deliver cricket enthusiasts a thrilling spectacle.

AUS vs NED Playing 11s:

Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins©, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Netherlands: Vikramjit Singh, Max O’Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards©(wk), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren

Australia are the only team in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 to have gone wicketless three times in the first powerplay in this tournament. Can Australia pick up some early wickets against the Netherlands in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Delhi today?

Netherlands pacer Logan van Beek is confident of another upset in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Australia in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"We've come here to reach the semi-finals. That's our goal. It's been pretty clear throughout the whole preparation phase. And the South African win just gave us that extra belief that you know the way they're playing at the moment on our day, we can still beat a good team," Logan van Beek said in the pre-match press conference.

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (47) requires three sixes to reach a total of 50 maximums in ODI cricket. Can Stoinis reach this landmark in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against the Netherlands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi today?

Former Australia captain Steve Smith (906) needs 94 runs to complete 1,000 ODI World Cups. Can Smith achieve this feat against Netherlands in their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Delhi today?

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc (55) needs two wickets to go past Lasith Malinga (56) to third all-time on the ODI World Cup wicket-takers list. Glenn McGrath leads with 71 and Muttiah Muralidaran is second with 68. Can Starc achieve this feat in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against the Netherlands today?

While "upsets" have been the flavour of this tournament in the last 10 days or so, Australia historically do not fall prey to upsets in big events. Save their loss to Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup and the one to the same team in the inaugural World T20 in 2007, it's hard to find an Australian team who have even been run close by a lower-ranked team.

Having said that, the Netherlands aren't looking to "upset" anyone but win as many matches as they can to stick to their goal of reaching the semifinals, as Logan van Beek said on the eve of the match. And they'll look to set that record straight for Australia in their first-ever encounter against them in a major event since 2007.

What to expect: It's early winter in Delhi and there is a chill in the air once the sun sets. The afternoons are still warm enough for you to have your hat on, though the humidity levels aren't too high. The air quality will be a topic for discussion, like it was when Australia played a Test here earlier in the year. There have been a lot of runs scored in Delhi during this tournament, including a World Cup record chase, and Australia will look to make the most of the batting conditions here, like they did in Bangalore against Pakistan.

The weather forecast for Delhi on Wednesday is promising, as it will be a rain-free, sunny day with clear skies and temperatures around 31 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are expected to be around 40%, providing comfortable playing conditions. The wind will be mild, blowing at a speed of 14 km/hr.

The Arun Jaitley Stadium boasts a pitch favourable to batters, with its rapid outfield and compact boundaries, allowing for easy boundary-scoring shots. Moreover, as the match progresses, the dry pitch conditions tend to favor spin bowlers, making it a common preference for teams winning the toss to opt for batting first and defending their total.

Team Watch

Australia

The talk around Head was if he could come through the session on Tuesday unscathed, he should be good to go, and you'd think that would mean Marnus Labuschagne misses out and Mitchell Marsh, despite his fabulous century, being demoted one spot to No 3.

Tactics & Strategy:

Head at the top of the order adds a different dynamic to the Aussie team. Not only do they then have two very attacking openers at the top, they also have a No 3 who can continue the innings in fifth gear. Josh Hazlewood has had a fantastic tournament without always having much to show in the wickets' column and the big challenge for the Dutch would be overcoming the new-ball challenge of Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, with Adam Zampa now back with the wickets too.

he Netherlands

The Netherlands have been one of the more settled teams in the World Cup and they're likely to go in with the same team that played against Sri Lanka.

Tactics & Strategy:

"Consistency of preparation," was a line that van Beek used a lot in terms of how well-prepared this Dutch team is for whoever they face. And that'll mean opening the bowling with Aryan Dutt, the second-most economical bowler in the powerplay, with the off-spinner likely to test the two left-handed openers for Australia. Runs through the lower order has been key for the Dutch but they will like some of their top-order batters coming to the party.

Pat Cummins and Scott Edwards (Image Source: Twitter)

ODI Stats and Records at Arun Jaitley Stadium:

• Total matches: 31
• Matches won batting first: 15
• Matches won bowling first: 15
• Average first-inning score: 223
• Average second-inning score: 203
• Highest total recorded: 428/5 (50 Overs) by South Africa vs Sri Lanka
• Lowest total recorded: 99/10: (27.1 Overs) by South Africa vs India
• Highest score chased: 281/4 (40.5 Overs) by India vs Sri Lanka
• Lowest score defended: 174/7 (50 Overs) by New Zealand Women vs India Women

Australia will look to continue its winning streaking after registering two back-to-back wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. While the team was off to a poor start with two consecutive losses from the games against India and South Africa, it finally seems to be back on track.