That is all from us today. Thanks to Tanya for steering the OBO tiller in the earlier shift and I appreciated all your emails, comments and shenanigans* this afternoon.

We will return to provide coverage of the semi-finals on Wednesday and Thursday. India will face New Zealand and Australia will take on South Africa for a chance to advance to the final on Sunday.

It is fitting that the second to last word on this OBO belongs to Mark Beadle.

Looking back, I could have chosen a better moment to take out the trash, James. Enjoy your tea, I hope it’s not too chilly!

The weather was freezing, Mark, but the wait was worth it. Your co-commentary was just as good. Have a good night!

Introducing the exceptional captain and bowler of India, Rohit Sharma.

From the beginning of the tournament, our focus has been on taking one game at a time. We did not want to get ahead of ourselves. With eleven games in total, it was crucial to take things step by step and concentrate on each match individually. I am extremely satisfied with our performance in the nine games so far; we have maintained a high level of precision from the first game until now.

“We are currently competing in India, so there will be high expectations. Our goal is to successfully complete our task. It’s easy to discuss our strategy, but it’s crucial for everyone to fully commit to it. We have a great rapport and enjoy playing together. Our main aim is to have fun while playing on the field.”

Today, they definitely did that by allowing Virat, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, and Rohit himself to have a turn bowling. I do not think we will see any of them bowl against New Zealand on Wednesday… the memory of the semi-final match against the Blackcaps from four years ago should keep Sharma and his team focused.

Introducing the captain of the Netherlands, Scott Edwards.

Right now, we are facing a bit of a challenge in terms of our desired position. We are quite satisfied with our playing style, but the tournament was always going to be difficult… India is one of the strongest teams out there. We have to significantly improve before the T20 World Cup next year. Their batting performance was top-notch… when you are down three wickets with ten overs remaining, you are bound to score some runs.

I believe he should be proud of his team as they defied expectations to qualify for the tournament and proved that they are not just participating, but capable of winning with victories over Bangladesh and a strong South African team. They did not falter under the Indian batting attack and showed resilience during their own innings, only struggling when facing spin. While they require support in terms of funding, scheduling, and other resources, they possess a talented and youthful roster.

Shreyas Iyer was awarded the Player of the Match for his impressive score of 128 runs off 94 balls.

I am feeling extremely pleased. The grades I received in recent days have been beneficial. The field conditions were challenging, with inconsistent bounce. I aimed to take advantage of my initial momentum… My strategy was to hit straight and stay focused.”

I really liked this. It reminded me of those players who effortlessly score high and then, when asked about the playing conditions afterwards, describe it as a challenging situation. “We only got 128 runs, but it’s probably worth twice as much.”

Rohit Sharma gives himself a bowl with a wide grin spreading across his chops. He trundles in and is hammered away over midwicket by Nidamanaru, that brings up his fifty off just 38 balls.

What a finish! Nidamanuru hits the ball right into the hands of long-on, giving India a commanding victory. Sharma is overjoyed, and rightfully so. Not only did he capture a wicket, but his team now has a perfect record of nine wins as they prepare for a home World Cup semi-final against New Zealand on Wednesday.

In the 47th over, Netherlands has scored 243 runs with 9 wickets down. Nidamanuru is at 48 runs and van Meekeren is at 2. Paul van Meekeren is the final player to bat. He manages to hit a yorker and get a single, switching strike on the first ball. Bumrah makes a mistake with his yorker and throws a full toss, allowing Nidamanuru to hit it through square successfully.

Simon McMahon exclaims, “Mark Beadle, you are a beauty!” after Beadle takes a wicket in his first over. McMahon compares Beadle’s performance to that of Virat Kohli and praises his delivery economy, which would have made Richie Benaud proud.

I completely agree, Simon. My only suggestion would be to improve time management. *Clears throat*

Bumrah’s cleverly disguised slower ball takes down Dutt! India just needs one more wicket to complete a flawless group stage.

In the 46th over, the Netherlands team has scored 236 runs for the loss of 8 wickets with Nidamanuru at 43 runs and Dutt at 5 runs. Jadeja is the bowler and Nidamanaru manages to hit a full ball for a six, showcasing a strong performance in the middle-order. He has a knack for hitting the ball beyond the boundary line.

In the 45th over, Netherlands has scored 227-8 with Nidamanuru at 37 runs and Dutt at 2 runs. Bumrah is bowling his eighth over and despite his efforts, he cannot get Aryan Dutt out. Dutt manages to survive all six balls without losing his wicket, even though a yorker nearly hits the stumps and knocks off the bails.

Van der Merwe hits a massive six and a switch hit four, but gets out on the third attempt and is caught by Shami in the deep. The Dutch team loses their eighth wicket. I still haven’t had a chance to drink my tea while enjoying the game.

In the 44th over, Netherlands has a score of 226-8 with Nidamanuru at 37 runs and Dutt at 1 run.

In the 43rd over, Nidamanuru and van der Merwe from the Netherlands are at 214-7. Van der Merwe takes the place of van Beek and immediately hits a six over midwicket off Kuldeep. There is no hesitation in his shot.

“I received all of my notifications and comments, no problem.”

Great job, Mark! It was definitely worth the wait.

Mark Beadle will now provide coverage of the events.

In the 42nd over, Netherlands has a score of 208-6 (Nidamanuru 36, van Beek 16). Shami throws a wide full toss and is hit for four by van Beek. Rohit attempts to dive for the ball but misses, prompting Shane Watson to compare him to the Sydney Harbour Bridge on commentary.

In the 41st over of the match, the Netherlands has a score of 200 for 6 wickets. Nidamanuru hits an impressive shot off Yadav’s googly, sending it soaring over long on for a six. Van Beek also contributes with a sweep, adding two runs and bringing the team’s total to 200.

In the 40th over, Netherlands has scored 190-6 with Nidamanuru at 28 and van Beek at 7. Shami returns to the attack and van Beek hits a four off his hip with good timing.

In the 39th over, Nidamanuru and van Beek from Netherlands have a score of 183-6. Nidamanuru hits a massive six off Kuldeep’s delivery down the field.

Shreerang Sarpotdar is entering the spirit: “Maaaaaaaaaaaaark?”

Mark is nowhere to be found. The teabag in front of me looks sad and empty without any milk… and without the possibility of being enjoyed. There could have been something between us, Mark.

Siraj bowls a delivery that gets past Engelbrecht in the first over after the break. I am confident that Mark will provide further details. He has it under control. I have complete trust.

Logan van Beek is the latest addition. Who is Mark?

In the 38th over, the Netherlands’ score is 169-5 with Nidamanuru at 17 runs and van Beek at 1 run.

Mark? Mark Beadle?

In the 37th over, Netherlands has scored 169 runs with Engelbrecht at 44 and Nidamanuru at 16. Kuldeep comes in for Suryakumar, possibly putting an end to India’s successful run. The over results in only one run and the players are now taking a break for drinks.

“Hi James,”

Wotcha Mark Beadle.

“Could you kindly pause your participation in this game and give the other OBO players a chance to have an over each?”

DEAL Mark. I’m off to make a cup of tea. You do the over after drinks yes? Double dare you. I’m typing nothing – got to let my Yorkshire Gold brew. Don’t be too good though, I need this gig.

In the 36th over, the Netherlands team has a score of 168-5 with Engelbrecht at 43 and Nidamanuru at 16. Siraj comes back into the game, having missed a few catches earlier. He will be looking to redeem himself with his bowling. One of his full deliveries hits Nidamanuru’s legs and goes for four runs. I have received a message in my inbox…

In the 35th over, the Netherlands team’s score is 162-5 with Engelbrecht scoring 42 runs and Nidamanuru scoring 16 runs. Nidamanuru shows great skill and hits two massive sixes in a row off SKY, prompting Rohit to consider ending his bowling spell.

However, what is this? Vibhanshu Bisht has proposed a theory.

“Hello James, it seems that you may have overlooked the fact that Rohit has already begun playing mind games for the semifinals. It appears that this is an effort by Rohit to confuse any New Zealand analysts who may be observing the match in order to strategize for the semifinals. Rather than just 5, they will now have to prepare plans for 8 and possibly even more bowlers.”

The 34th over sees the Netherlands at 149-5 with Engelbrecht scoring 42 and Nidamanuru at 3. The situation is reminiscent of Graham Gooch’s infamous comment about the New Zealand team in the 1980s – facing a mix of world-class players and lower-level competition. Bumrah is executing bouncers and yorkers with precision, displaying impressive skills. Suryakumar is chosen to continue bowling.

In the 33rd over, the Netherlands has a score of 148-5 with Engelbrecht at 42 and Nidamanuru at 3. Suryakumar makes his debut in an international match and his bowling is quite slow, barely reaching the other end. It won’t be long before Rohit takes over. The over resulted in four singles, showcasing India’s strong performance.

Yorker. Goodbye. Bumrah misses catching Englebrecht on the boundary and Siraj makes a desperate dive to save it. Bumrah then takes control by hitting off stump with force. Teja Nidamanuru is now up to bat. Oh my, Suryakumar Yadav is about to bowl for the first time in international cricket. Get ready.

In the 32nd over, the Netherlands team has scored 144 runs for the loss of 5 wickets, with Engelbrecht scoring 40 runs and Nidamanuru at 0.

31st over: Netherlands 140-4 (Engelbrecht 37, de Leede 12) Inexplicably, Shubman Gill is given another over. Can’t really bring myself to type except to say four singles are taken off it. That’s all you are getting. Let’s all move on.

In the 30th over, Netherlands is at 136-4 with Engelbrecht scoring 35 and de Leede scoring 10. Bumrah replaces Shubman for this over, and only one run is scored by de Leede.

“Looks like Rohit is the only one remaining. We should all have a bowl. After all, he has an IPL hattrick,” Arul Kanhere says playfully.

Do not dismiss it.

The 29th over sees the Netherlands at 135-4 with Engelbrecht scoring 35 and de Leede at 9. It is evident that Gill is not a skilled bowler. His style could be described as floaty and ineffective as he bowls too short, allowing de Leede to easily hit it to the boundary. It’s reminiscent of a casual village game where a last-minute substitute, who has just arrived after a long drive, is given the chance to bowl. Or perhaps a friendly game with beers involved. Interestingly, my stag doo match last summer was more intense than this particular over from Gill. Wisden’s Phil Walker must still have nightmares about getting out to my mediocre left-arm bowling. But I never bring it up to him, that would be insensitive.

The 28th over saw the Netherlands reach a score of 128-4, with Engelbrecht scoring 33 and de Leede scoring 1. There was a missed opportunity for a wicket as Jadeja was unable to catch a sharp hit from de Leede. Commentator Ian Smith notes that India’s fielding has been lackadaisical today, with a relaxed end-of-term atmosphere. This is further evidenced by the decision to bring Shubman Gill on to bowl.

In the 27th over, the Netherlands’ score is 124-4 with Engelbrecht scoring 33 and de Leede scoring 1. Kohli bowls for another over and it’s difficult to take the ball away from him after getting his first ODI wicket in nine years. The over yields five runs with a variety of deliveries, including some slow ones and some full tosses.

In the 26th over, the Netherlands team’s score is 119-4 with Engelbrecht scoring 29 runs and de Leede scoring 0. Englebrecht takes a step forward to face Jadeja’s delivery and hits a thick edge, resulting in four runs. However, the next ball is hit to Rohit at point, but he is unable to catch it and it goes for a drop. Unfortunately for India, this is another missed opportunity. Engelbrecht then hits the ball towards the ground and a mistake by the fielder causes it to reach the boundary. This shows some carelessness from the Indian team.

Virat Kohli successfully takes a wicket! He expertly throws the ball towards the leg side and Scott Edwards barely touches it, but it is caught skillfully by KL Rahul. The crowd erupts in excitement and Edwards has to leave the field.

Bas de Leede is the new player and Kohli is now channeling Richard Hadlee, the over ends with three dots.

In the 25th over, Netherlands is at 111-4 with Engelbrecht scoring 20 runs and de Leede at 0.

In the 24th over, the Netherlands team has scored 110 runs with 3 wickets lost. Engelbrecht has contributed 20 runs while Edwards has scored 17. Jadeja’s over was not very accurate, as he bowled a few loose deliveries. He gave away four runs due to leg-byes and Edwards hit a fine shot for another boundary. In total, the over resulted in 12 runs for the Netherlands team, but they still need to score many more runs to win the match.

In the 23rd over, the Netherlands have a score of 98-3 with Engelbrecht at 17 and Edwards at 12. Kohli is now entering the game, causing excitement among the crowd as they hope to witness his rare bowling abilities. He takes his time approaching the crease… his pace seems to be on the slower side, despite being labeled as medium pace. He allows three singles before Engelbrecht hits a thick edge that results in a four, wide of KL Rahul. The over ends with seven runs scored.