AHMEDABAD: Defending champions India beat a spirited Netherlands team by 17 runs on Wednesday ahead of their meeting with South Africa in the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup.

India posted 193-6 and then kept the Dutch down to 176-7 with spinner Varun Chakravarthy returning figures of 3-14 in Ahmedabad to stay unbeaten in their four matches in Group A.

But a tough test awaits the co-hosts at the same venue on Sunday when they face South Africa, who emerged top of a potentially tricky Group D that featured New Zealand and Afghanistan.

India finish top of their group ahead of arch-rivals Pakistan, but need to fix holes 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 on the third ball by off-spinner Aryan Dutt after India elected to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket stadium.

India were teetering at 110-4 before Shivam Dube hit a counter-attacking 66 and put on a key stand of 76 with Hardik Pandya (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 and I was enjoying.”

DUBE EFFECT

Several batters got starts but failed to capitalize as Ishan Kishan fell for 18, Tilak Varma made 31 and Suryakumar contributed 34.

But Dube kept calm and hit a few lusty blows including two sixes and a four off off-spinner Colin Ackermann, reaching his fifty off 25 balls.

He and Pandya ensured India’s innings finished 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, who hit four fours and six sixes in his 31-ball knock, was caught by substitute fielder Tim van der Gugten on the boundary rope, with Pandya picking out a fielder in the deep off the final delivery by Logan van Beek.

Dutt returned impressive figures of 2-19 from his four overs.

In reply, the Dutch openers started cautiously before Max O’Dowd fell bowled for 20 off Chakravarthy and Pandya dismissed Michael Levitt, for 24.

Bas de Leede and Ackermann attempted to put the chase back on track in their stand of 43 but Chakravarthy broke through with his mystery spin.

He sent back Ackermann, for 23, and then bowled Dutt on the next ball, before the hat-trick was avoided by skipper Scott Edwards.

The ever-increasing run rate forced the Dutch to take risks and in the process lose their wickets as De Leede (33) fell to Dube and Jasprit Bumrah took down Edwards.

Zach Lion-Cachet (26) and Noah Croes, who made an unbeaten 25, hit regular boundaries in a desperate attempt to pull off a miracle but India had runs to play with and, despite two dropped catches in the last over, saw out the match.