Before the start of Australia vs Netherlands ODI World Cup 2023 match in Delhi on Wednesday, the players of both teams observed a one minute silence in honour of Indian legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi, who passed away on October 23 at the age of 77 due to prolonged illness.
Apart from players, the match officials along with kids were present in the ground and fans also stood in stands as the whole atmosphere was somber at the at the Arun Jaitley Stadium while paying their respects to the departed soul. Thereafter, the Netherlands national anthem was played, followed by Australia’s.
The legendary spinner Bedi represented India in 67 Tests and 10 ODIs, taking a combined of 273 wickets.
Renowned for his profound understanding of the game, Bedi’s elegant and rhythmic bowling action, coupled with his ability to generate prodigious spin, and his discipline with the ball earned him tremendous success. He was a pivotal member of India’s celebrated spin quartet.
With an astounding 1560 first-class wickets to his credit, Bedi also led India in 22 Tests, with three of the six wins coming on foreign soil. He also featured in India’s inaugural ODI, played on July 13, 1974, in Leeds.
At the time of his retirement, Bedi held the distinction of being India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Post-retirement, he briefly served as Manager and was also a national selector. His illustrious cricketing journey was aptly recognized with several accolades, including the prestigious Padma Shri in 1970 and BCCI’s C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 and ICC’s Cricket Hall of Fame.
Coming to the match, Australia opted to bat first after captain Pat Cummins won the toss. They opted not to slot in opener Travis Head, who arrived in India earlier in the week, straight into the XI.
Australia were also missing all-rounder Marcus Stoinins, who had sustained a calf problem and Cameron Green took his place in the side. On the other hand, Netherlands opted to stick with the same XI that succumbed to Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Playing XIs:
Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Netherlands: Vikramjit 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
