Yuvraj's butter-fingers moment

Just the ball before he trapped Wesley Barresi plumb in front, Yuvraj Singh had his butter-fingers moment (which would have made Netherlands' shirt sponsors Amul guffaw). Funnily enough, he had gone through his bowling action but instead of the ball pitching in front, it lobbed out of his hands in the reverse direction and almost took umpire Steve Davis' head off. Both men could only laugh at the freakish incident.

Ryan ten Doeschate lined up to bowl his first ball. Facing him was Sachin Tendulkar. The Dutchman immediately pushed the short fine leg, which was square originally, finer. Tendulkar glanced at the change and ten Doeschate pitched fuller. The ball seamed in towards Tendulkar's legs. The aim was to trap him in front of the wicket. But Tendulkar had smartly moved in slightly and flicked the ball delicately, exactly past the point where the fielder was originally standing. Ahem.

In ten Doeschate's second over, Tendulkar skipped a step and then two steps forward to cream him in front of square. Even Yashpal Sharma, one of the Indian selectors, was so impressed at the master's technique, that he started shadow-playing the straight arc of the bat that only Tendulkar draws while playing his stroke.

All the buzz around Netherlands coming in to the game was to do with ten Doeschate, the only Associate player with an IPL contract; the only big fella among the little guys; the only one in a team of Bas Zuiderents and Peter Borrens worth watching. When he came to the wicket at 70 for 2, opportunity and the big stage called out his name. Less than half an hour into a brief, unremarkable innings, ten Doeschate was lulled by one of Yuvraj's lollies, which dipped on him. His expansive strike down the ground carried only as far as Zaheer Khan on the long-off fence. When he bowled later in the evening, he was munched for 23 runs in his first two overs.

Who would have thought guys called Szwarczynski and Barresi could be anyone other than deep defenders for a 1990ish AC Milan? Who could foresee that at this World Cup, Szwarczynski and Barresi would belong to a tribe that includes the pairs of Watson and Haddin, Pietersen and Strauss, Sehwag and Tendulkar, and Tharanga and Dilshan? Netherlands openers Eric Szwarczynski and Wesley Barresi, both South African born, put together 56 in 15 overs. When they crossed 50, like Cold War spies exchanging briefcases, they met each other at the centre of the wicket, quietly tapped gloves, nodded and went back to their ends. No one noticed; no one applauded.

Virat Kohli steered a Peter Borren delivery towards an unmanned backward square leg and raced for what he thought was a possible double. His partner Gautam Gambhir seemed to have settled for a single. But at the behest of Kohli's call, Gambhir turned back and set off for the second run while Kolhi, who had taken a few strides, suddenly stopped having noticed ten Doeschate's swift charge from deep square leg. By then Gambhir was stuck halfway down the pitch. Unfortunately for Netherlands, captain Borren, standing mid-pitch failed to cleanly collect the throw, and his fumble allowed Gambhir to scamper home. Fortunately for Netherlands, Borren made quick amends in his next over, beating Kohli's defence and hitting off stump.