The news, stats and form guide ahead of another crucial clash for the five-time defending champs as they look to maintain their top four position
Australia v Netherlands: All you need to know
For Pat Cummins' Australians, it's a chance to secure two more points as they look to continue their turnaround from a tough start to the tournament with a third-straight win. For the Dutch, it's an exceptionally rare chance to topple the five-time world champions.
Match facts
Who: Australia v Netherlands
When: Wednesday October 25. Coin toss at 7pm AEDT, first ball at 7.30pm AEDT (2pm local)
Where: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
How to watch: Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports and Nine/Gem/Go!/Rush
Officials: Shahid Saikat and Michael Gough (standing), Marais Erasmus (third), Nitin Menon (fourth)
Live scores: Match Centre
Highlights, news and reactions after the match: cricket.com.au, the CA Live app, the Unplayable Podcast
The Squads
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (c), Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht
Opening batter Travis Head has finally linked up with the Australian squad after missing the first half of the tournament while he recovered from a fractured left hand. While Head is still a wait-and-see for the Netherlands match, Adam Zampa's back spasms are the squad's only other fitness concern.
The Netherlands are led by Australian-raised Scott Edwards and since the qualifying tournament in July have added county players Colin Ackermann, Paul van Meekeren and Roelof van der Merwe to their squad.
Local knowledge
Australia's most recent visit to Arun Jaitley Stadium was a short one, losing the second Border-Gavaskar Test earlier this year in two-and-a-half days. Known for its stand resembling a car park, the 55,000-capacity ground holds fonder recent memories in the 50-over format for Australia. It's where they won the fifth ODI prior to the last World Cup to complete a remarkable 3-2 series victory after going two-nil down, at the time becoming just the fifth side to complete such a turnaround.
There have been three matches in Delhi so far this World Cup, one that saw over 700 runs between South Africa and Sri Lanka and one that saw Afghanistan knock off England. Overall, spin has been far more effective with 19 wickets at an economy rate of 5.47 compared to the pace bowlers who have collected 24 wickets at an economy of 7.34.
A very standard 30C is expected for the match, with the most difficult component of the conditions being the air quality, due to pollution, burning off and dust particles. While the air quality rating is expected to be lower than it was for Australia's Test match here earlier in the year, a reading of between 300-350 is forecast. For comparison, a reading of 50 is considered "safe", according to the United Nations' Environment Programme.
Probable Starting XIs
Australia: David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Netherlands: Vikram Singh, Max O'Dowd, Colin Ackermann, Bas de Leede, Teja Nidamanuru, Scott Edwards (c, wk), Sybrand Engelbrecht, Logan van Beek, Roelof van der Merwe, Aryan Dutt, Paul van Meekeren
Travis Head has been pushing his case with a strong training performance on Monday night but Australia might opt to err on the side of caution and give Head a few extra days recovery, especially as this XI is coming off back-to-back wins.
The Dutch seem pretty content with their XI and are expected to back in the same side that just came up short against Sri Lanka in Lucknow with the spin of Aryan Dutt and Roelof van der Merwe expected to play a big role.
Recent form
Past 10 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, N: no result
Australia: WWLLWLLLLL
Australia's 62-run win over Pakistan in Bengaluru has seen the Aussies hit the World Cup's top four for the first time this tournament. After losses to India and South Africa to begin, Australia have turned their form around by defeating Sri Lanka in Lucknow and Pakistan on Friday.
Netherlands: LWLLLWWLWW
The Netherlands entered this World Cup with plenty of wins under their belt after progressing through the qualifier tournament with wins over West Indies, Nepal, Scotland, Oman and USA. After two comfortable losses to begin this tournament, the Dutch shocked everybody with a 38-run win over the previously undefeated South Africa in Dharamshala, just the country's third victory in World Cup history.
World Cup Standings
| Team | M | W | L | T | N/R | NRR | Ded. | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
IND
|
9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.57 | 0 | 18 |
|
2
SA
|
9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.261 | 0 | 14 |
|
3
AUS
|
9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.841 | 0 | 14 |
|
4
NZ
|
9 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.743 | 0 | 10 |
|
5
PAK
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.199 | 0 | 8 |
|
6
AFG
|
9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | -0.336 | 0 | 8 |
|
7
ENG
|
9 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | -0.572 | 0 | 6 |
|
8
BAN
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.087 | 0 | 4 |
|
9
SL
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.419 | 0 | 4 |
|
10
NED
|
9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | -1.825 | 0 | 4 |
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
Last time they met
Although 16 years since their last official ODI meeting, these two sides met in a World Cup warm-up match in the southern Indian state of Kerala just before the tournament began. The match was heavily impacted by consistent rain as it's monsoon season in that part of the country, but it is best remembered for Mitch Starc's hat-trick. Steve Smith got 55 opening the batting after the match was reduced to 23 overs per side, and the Netherlands were 6-84 after 14.2 overs when the rain hit again and ended the match.
Head-to-head
Overall: Australia (2 wins), Netherlands (0 wins)
Most runs: Brad Hodge (123), Michael Clarke (93), Damien Martyn (67)
Most wickets: Tim de Leede (4), Brad Hogg (4), Andy Bichel (3), Ian Harvey (3)
Australia have won both ODIs between these sides, by 75 runs at the 2003 World Cup and by 229 runs at the 2007 World Cup.
Rapid stats
- David Warner (5) is one away from surpassing Ricky Ponting (5) for the outright most hundreds for Australia in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history and equaling Sachin Tendulkar (6) for the second most centuries in the history of the tournament (behind Rohit Sharma's 7)
- Scott Edwards (14) is one away from surpassing Ryan ten Doeschate (14) for the most scores of 50+ for Netherlands in men’s ODIs
- Adam Zampa (151) is five away from equalling Brad Hogg (156) as Australia's second-most prolific wicket-taker in men's ODIs, with Shane Warne (291) in top spot
Where to next?
Australia venture up to the Himalayas to face off against New Zealand in Dharamshala and the Dutch have Bangladesh in Kolkata.
Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures
October 8: Lost to India by six wickets
October 12: Lost to South Africa by 134 runs
October 16: Beat Sri Lanka by five wickets
October 20: Defeated Pakistan by 62 runs
October 25: v Netherlands, Delhi (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT
October 28: v New Zealand, Dharamsala, 4pm AEDT
November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT
November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT
November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa