T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points table
The Dutch started with a narrow loss to Pakistan, a match that exposed the weaknesses of the middle order as they went from 123/4 to 147. They responded in control against Namibia, chasing 157 for the loss of three wickets with two overs to spare. Bas de Leede was central to the effort, scoring 72 not out at a strike rate of 150 and taking two wickets, including captain Gerhard Erasmus. Netherlands bat deep, with Roelof van der Merwe listed at No.9, and they have several bowling options suited to different phases of the innings.
The US tournament went in a different direction. They reduced India to 77/6 before dropping Suryakumar Yadav for 17; he went on to score 84 not out to lift India to 161/9. USA were restricted to 132/8. Their bowling showed structure, Shadley van Schalkwyk was effective in the power bowl and Mohammad Mohsin and Harmeet Singh dominated the middle overs. However, the top order has yet to fire. Monank Patel and Andries Gous did not change starts and the opening combination remains uneven.
Injuries added to the complexity for the US. Ali Khan has a groin problem while Jasdeep Singh has been ruled out, leading to the inclusion of Ehsan Adil. The Netherlands, meanwhile, arrived with their preparations behind them as they trained in Chennai in the lead.
With the historical head-to-head numbers favoring the Netherlands and the USA needing a breakthrough result, this match has implications for two points.