The match in Melbourne was over, but the conversation around it was only getting louder.
India's win over Pakistan had become the biggest talking point across the cricketing world. Siddanth Deva and Virat Kohli had taken the chase from 10 for 2 to victory without taking unnecessary risks. Their running between the wickets had kept the scoreboard moving, and Kohli's six off Haris Rauf had already become one of the most replayed shots of the tournament.
Across Twitter and Vibe, fans were debating the chase, the bowling, and the partnership.
@CricketNerd_IND: I am still trying to process that Kohli shot. 153 kmph from Rauf, and Kohli goes straight over the bowler's head for six. Unreal. 👑🔥
@PakCricketFan_99: Still hurting, but you have to respect it. Deva and Kohli didn't panic after 10 for 2. They kept finding gaps and running hard. Pakistan couldn't break the partnership.
@MemeCentral_Desi:
Haris Rauf: "I'm going to bowl fast."
Deva: "Fine. I'll just push this into the deep and run two."
Rauf: "Why are they running again?" 😂
@Lahore_Blues: Can someone tell Siddanth Deva to stop picking the same gaps? Our fielders have done enough running for one match. 😭🏏
@Virat_Army_Official: Rauf tried to sledge the King. The King answered by going straight over his head. That is Virat Kohli in one moment. 🦁
@SportsPundit_UK: Deva read the conditions well. He saw the movement early, played the straight deliveries safely, and kept the chase under control through singles and twos.
@Karachi_Kings_Fan: I genuinely thought Shadab Khan was going to collapse after chasing those balls into the deep. Deva kept picking the same areas.
@BlueBleeders: India losing two early wickets turned out to be the start of the Deva-Kohli show. 😂
@CricCrazyJohn: Kohli's straight six off Rauf is going to be replayed for years. The balance and timing were perfect.
@Peshawar_Zalmi_Lover: Congratulations to India. Great chase. But please tell Deva to let our fielders rest next time. 🤝🇵🇰🇮🇳
@TiredFastBowler: Watching Rauf after that Kohli six was painful. You could see the frustration immediately. 👻🏏
@MumbaiIndians_Fan: Deva and Kohli knew exactly how to build that chase. They never looked rushed.
@Shoaib_Akhtar_Fan: You have to applaud the batting. Good fast bowling, a difficult start, and still they kept control of the chase.
@Deva_Empire_Forever: Deva didn't need to hit every ball hard. He found the gaps, took twos, and kept the pressure on Pakistan.
@CricketShitpost: Pakistan: "We have fast bowlers." Deva & Kohli: "We have two legs." 👟😂
@FanGirl_Sid: The glove bump between Deva and Kohli after the six said everything. They knew exactly what they were doing. ❤️🇮🇳
@BabarAzam_Squad: Tough loss, but Pakistan were beaten by two great innings. Kohli and Deva handled the pressure very well. On to the next match. 🏏💚
@IndianCricketHeroes: 10 for 2. Ball moving. Ninety thousand people watching. Deva and Kohli simply built the chase and stayed there.
@Vibe_Official_Trends: "Running them into the ground" is trending after India's win over Pakistan. 📈🏏
@RaviShastri_Quotes: "They took what was there, ran hard, and finished the game properly." 🎙️🔥
---
The noise from Melbourne continued online, but the Indian team had already moved on.
The squad had flown into Sydney, leaving the MCG behind and beginning preparations for their next group match against the Netherlands.
Inside the Indian dressing room at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the atmosphere was relaxed but focused.
Ravi Shastri stood in the middle of the room.
"Boys, Melbourne was a statement," he said. "We were two down early, but we stayed calm and finished the chase."
He looked around the room.
"But that's one game. Today we start again. No looking back. The Netherlands are disciplined, they'll make us work, and we have to respect that."
He raised a hand.
"Keep the same intensity. Do the simple things well. Move the game forward."
Deva sat near his locker, listening quietly.
Shastri looked toward him.
"Skipper?"
Deva nodded.
"Let's get to work."
The Sydney sky was clear and bright.
The SCG pitch looked hard and dry, with enough pace for stroke play and the possibility of spin becoming more important as the match went on.
Deva walked out for the toss and met Netherlands captain Scott Edwards.
The referee flipped the coin.
"Heads," Deva called.
The coin landed.
"Heads it is."
"Siddanth, you've won the toss. What's the decision?"
"We'll bat first."
"Why bat first?"
"The pitch looks good. It's dry, and we want to put a total on the board. We can use the conditions while they're fresh and give the bowlers something to defend later."
"And the eleven?"
"No changes."
Deva looked into the camera.
Edwards confirmed that he would also have preferred to bat first.
The captains shook hands.
The match was ready.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul walked out.
Fred Klaassen and Paul van Meekeren took the new ball.
From the beginning, the Netherlands bowled with discipline.
They kept the ball in good areas and gave the Indian openers few loose deliveries.
Rahul looked less comfortable than he had in Melbourne.
He tried to work the ball into the gaps, but his timing was not quite there.
In the third over, van Meekeren bowled a hard-length delivery into Rahul.
Rahul tried to work it toward mid-wicket.
The ball took the leading edge.
It went up.
The fielder at mid-on settled underneath it.
Catch.
Rahul was out for 11.
India were 15 for 1.
Virat Kohli walked out.
The Melbourne hero was greeted by another roar from the stands.
Rohit met him in the middle.
"They're bowling well," Rohit said. "The pitch is holding a little."
"We build it," Kohli replied. "No need to rush."
Rohit nodded.
They settled into the innings.
The batting was simple.
Short ball?
Rohit pulled it.
Full ball?
Kohli drove it.
Good ball?
They defended.
Loose ball?
They scored.
The most important part was the running.
They kept rotating the strike and made sure the bowlers couldn't build pressure for long.
The partnership passed fifty.
Then sixty.
Rohit began finding his timing.
Kohli controlled his end.
Inside the Indian dugout, Siddanth Deva was already padded up.
Suryakumar Yadav sat beside him.
The Dutch spinners were operating.
SKY watched them closely.
He noticed how the ball was gripping slightly.
He also noticed the field.
There was room behind square on the leg side.
There was room behind point.
The bowlers were giving him enough flight to use his sweeps and scoops.
SKY looked toward Deva.
"Skip."
Deva turned.
"I think I can take these spinners on."
Deva listened.
SKY continued.
"They've got fielders inside the circle, but there are gaps behind them. I can get to those areas."
He hesitated.
"If a wicket falls, can I go next?"
Deva looked toward the middle.
He watched the bowling.
He looked at the remaining overs.
Then he smiled.
"Pad up properly."
SKY's expression changed.
Deva reached down and removed one batting pad.
Then the other.
He set them beside his kitbag.
SKY watched.
Deva leaned back.
"You're going at four."
SKY smiled.
"Thanks, Skip."
"Go and play your shots."
SKY nodded.
"I will."
The decision was made.
Rohit reached fifty.
The crowd applauded.
But soon after, he tried to clear the deep against the bowling.
He didn't get enough on it.
The fielder took the catch.
Rohit walked off after making 54.
The next batsman wasn't Siddanth Deva.
It was Suryakumar Yadav.
Harsha Bhogle reacted immediately from the commentary box.
"That is a surprise. Suryakumar Yadav is coming in at four. Siddanth Deva has promoted him."
SKY walked toward the middle.
He met Kohli.
"Skip gave me the chance," SKY said.
Kohli smiled.
"Then go and enjoy yourself."
SKY took guard.
The Netherlands changed their field.
It didn't matter.
The first full ball was swept.
Four.
The next spinner tossed one up.
SKY went over extra cover.
Four.
A wide delivery came next.
He opened the face and sent it behind point.
Four.
The Dutch bowlers tried to change their lengths.
SKY changed his shots.
When they went straight, he moved across and played the scoop.
When they bowled wide, he cut.
When they offered spin, he used his feet.
The fielders kept moving.
Nothing seemed to give them a safe place to bowl.
Kohli worked around him at the other end, keeping the strike moving.
In the dugout, Deva watched closely.
The plan was working.
SKY reached fifty from 25 balls.
He raised his bat.
The SCG crowd responded.
India finished their twenty overs at:
INDIA 179/2
---
The Netherlands needed 180.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball.
He moved the ball away from the opener.
An edge went through to Sanju Samson.
First wicket.
Arshdeep came from the other end.
He kept attacking the stumps.
The Netherlands number three was trapped in front.
Two wickets gone.
Shami then entered the attack.
He bowled a hard length and kept the batsmen from playing freely.
Ashwin came on as the middle overs progressed.
He varied his pace and flight and picked up two wickets.
The Netherlands were 75 for 5 after twelve overs.
The chase was slipping away.
Deva stood at mid-off.
The main bowlers had done their work.
He decided to give himself one over.
The crowd noticed.
Ian Smith spoke from the commentary box.
"And Siddanth Deva is coming on. He doesn't need to, but the captain wants a little more cricket into his legs."
Deva marked his run-up.
He bowled a steady length.
No search for extra pace.
No need for anything complicated.
The fourth ball was slower.
The batsman played too early.
The ball went up.
Deva moved forward and took the return catch.
One over.
One wicket.
Two runs.
He handed the ball back.
Arshdeep finished the innings.
The final ball hit the stumps.
The Netherlands were bowled out for 119.
India won by 60 runs.
---
The Indian team walked off together.
Inside the dressing room, Ravi Shastri was already waiting.
He clapped as the players came in.
"Good job, boys."
He looked around.
"That is how you handle a tournament."
He pointed toward the bowling group.
"Bhuvi, Arshdeep, Shami — excellent start."
Then toward Rohit and Kohli.
"Good platform."
Finally, he turned toward Suryakumar Yadav.
"But Surya..."
SKY looked up.
"That was some batting."
The room applauded.
Deva stood near his locker.
He looked toward SKY.
SKY returned the look.
There was a small nod between them.
Deva had given up his place in the order because he believed SKY was the right man for that stage of the innings.
Today, SKY had proved him right.
Deva didn't need to make every match about himself.
He only needed the team to keep finding ways to win.
The World Cup campaign had moved forward.
And India had made another statement.