India crush Netherlands by 182

Trelawny, Jamaica, Mar 7 (UNI) Skipper Rahul Dravid (74) and Sachin Tendulkar (61) smashed half centuries as India made light of the Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate's heroics to crush the world cup minnows by 182 runs in a warm up match here today.

Set to score 301 for an unlikely victory after putting India in, the Dutch were shot out for 118 in 37.5 overs. Indian slow bowlers exploited the docile pitch with Yuvraj Singh grabbing four for 12 with his occasional left arm spin while veteran leg spinner Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh took two wickets apiece.

Earlier, South Africa-born ten Doeschate share the honours in India innings with Dravid and Tendulkar by finishing with five for 57. He removed Saurav Ganguly (19) off his first ball and bowled fellow opener Virender Sehwag (28) with an in-coming delivery before adding the scalps of Yuvraj Singh (14), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (21) and Harbhajan Singh (0).

He then proved that he was key man in Dutch ranks by scoring 31 in the Dutch innings before Kumble trapped him leg before as the difference in class between the two sides gradually showed. Opener Bas Zuiderent top-scored with 32.

The Netherlands innings ended when Yuvraj claimed the last two batsmen off successive balls, finishing with four for 12 off just 3.5 overs.

Put into bat by opposition captain Luke van Troost, Indian openers Virender Sehwag (28) and Sourav Ganguly (19) failed to utilise the opportunity for batting practice with both of them perishing to bad shots. But, Tendulkar and Dravid fluorished in the middle overs to put India in command. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (21) and Irfan Pathan (25) chipped in slog overs with uesful quick runs.

Sehwag began on an ominous note with two fours in the first over bowled by young Dutch medium pacer Mark Jonkmann who sent down a flurry of no balls. Ganguly and Sehwag were scoring at six runs per over when the first wicket fell in the first ball of the 11th over when the team total was 60. Doeschate sent down a short and wide ball and Ganguly, reaching far outside the off, only managed to chop the ball into the hands of Stelling at cover. Ganguly's 19 came from 37 balls and was studded with two fours.

Sehwag followed soon after playing the wrong line to an incoming ball from Doeschate with the ball sneaking past the gap between the bat and pad uprooting the middle stump. The Delhi batsman made 28 from 36 balls and India were 64 for two then.

MORE UNI