Pakistan vs Netherlands, World Cup 2023: How can Netherlands beat Pakistan in their World Cup opener?

The Netherlands will have a daunting task as they play Pakistan in their World Cup 2023 opener on Friday (October 6) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

The Dutch have been giant killers on their way to the World Cup qualification. They overcame the likes of West Indies, Zimbabwe to seal their berth for the grand event in India, and now the tough battle starts.

Netherlands do have a squad which can compete, but by no means it is Pakistan. The Dutch have the likes of Roelof van der Merwe, Wesley Barresi into the national team setup and their availability will be crucial for them. Also, they do have a few youngsters who may be stalwarts in the coming years.

But for an immediate fix, how can they grind out a result against Pakistan? History says Pakistan have won all six matches against Netherlands, spanning a timeline of 26 years. But there may be a way for the European side to become 7th time lucky. And let us see how-

Pakistan have a soft underbelly

Netherlands players must know and realize that this Pakistan team has a soft underbelly. Despite some terrific players in their squad, we have seen a huge lack of cohesion and mettle in the Pakistan team in recent years. When the chips go down, they generally crumble and shatter into pieces.

Now the Dutch will have to exploit that. If they bowl first, early wickets will be necessary. If they can tumble the top order, especially Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, there is a big chance of making further inroads and bundling out Pakistan with a modest score. We all remember how the great Pakistan side succumbed against a novice Ireland side in the 2007 World Cup, and Netherlands will have to believe they can inflict the same.

Fearless cricket is the way for the Dutch

Playing according to the occasion is an important thing. And the Dutch will have to imply the same rule, but in a more flamboyant way. Nobody expects them to win against Pakistan - if the Dutch can channel this in a positive way, we may witness fearless cricket from them, which can be dangerous for Pakistan.

Dutch will have to bat well

If the Netherlands bat first, they will have to put on a big total. They have shown batting prowess in the World Cup qualifiers, and if they can replicate that with a big score against the Pakistanis, we will have a game in our hands.

Pakistan's dismal record in World Cup openers in 21st Century

Another reason for the Netherlands to hope for a dream result is Pakistan's woeful record in the World Cup opening matches since the turn of this century. Out of the five World Cup opening matches, the men in Green have just won one, which came in the 2011 World Cup against Kenya. Hence that is also something to keep in mind for both teams.

It will be a bold call to predict Netherlands' victory against Pakistan, but there are avenues which they can follow and build up a resistance against their opponents. Even if they don't reach their destination, the journey will provide valuable learning.