To the larger majority, Sunday’s fixture against the Netherlands is a dead rubber between the No. 1 and No. 10 teams on the table, but the Indian contingent at the World Cup doesn’t belong to that category. Having mounted a fabulous campaign so far, Rohit Sharma’s men will leave no stone unturned in their bid to carry an unbeaten record into Wednesday’s semi-final against New Zealand when they come up against the Netherlands.

Well rested since their schooling of South Africa in Kolkata last Sunday, India have built beautifully towards this game. The entire side took three days off from practice, but when it did turn up at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, there was no shortage of intensity or purpose.