DEFENDING champions India beat the Netherlands by 17 runs on Wednesday, ahead of their meeting with South Africa in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup.
India made 193-6 and then restricted the Dutch to 176-7, with spinner Varun Chakravarthy taking 3-14 in Ahmedabad as India stayed unbeaten in their four matches in Group A.
India will face South Africa at the same venue on Sunday. South Africa finished top of Group D, which included New Zealand and Afghanistan.
India finished top of Group A ahead of arch-rivals Pakistan, but still have issues to address in their batting, including the form of opener Abhishek Sharma, who fell for his third straight duck in the tournament.
"I mean, you can't say that we have ticked almost all the boxes, but even if you win, you learn something out of it," skipper Suryakumar Yadav said.
"And we have learned a few areas. We'll go back to the rooms, have a day off tomorrow, and have a chat on that."
Abhishek was bowled off the third ball by off-spinner Aryan Dutt after India elected to bat first at the world's biggest cricket stadium.
India were 110-4 before Shivam Dube hit 66 and added 76 with Hardik Pandya, who made 30.
"This is a World Cup and the game gets difficult sometimes," player of the match Dube, who also took two wickets, told reporters.
"It was a little tough on the wicket, but yeah, this is the situation I love to bat in and I was enjoying it."
Several Indian batters got starts but did not convert them, with Ishan Kishan out for 18, Tilak Varma making 31 and Suryakumar contributing 34.
Dube reached his fifty off 25 balls, including two sixes and a four off off-spinner Colin Ackermann.
Dube and Pandya helped India finish strongly, although both were dismissed in the final over at the 110,000-capacity stadium, which had a turnout of over 68,000 fans.
Dube hit four fours and six sixes in his 31-ball knock before being caught by substitute fielder Tim van der Gugten on the boundary rope. Pandya was out off the final delivery by Logan van Beek.
Dutt finished with 2-19 from four overs.
In reply, the Netherlands openers started cautiously before Chakravarthy bowled Max O'Dowd for 20. Pandya then dismissed Michael Levitt for 24.
Bas de Leede and Ackermann put on 43, but Chakravarthy broke the stand.
Chakravarthy dismissed Ackermann for 23 and then bowled Dutt on the next ball, before skipper Scott Edwards avoided the hat-trick.
The rising run rate forced the Netherlands to take risks, and De Leede, who made 33, was dismissed by Dube. Jasprit Bumrah removed Edwards.
Zach Lion-Cachet made 26 and Noah Croes finished unbeaten on 25 as the Netherlands continued to chase with regular boundaries, but India had runs to defend and saw out the match despite two dropped catches in the last over.
