T20 World Cup 2024 IND vs PAK: The unpredictable nature of the drop-in pitches at the Nassau Country Ground in New York was once again the talking point on the eve of the anticipated India versus Pakistan group game on Sunday. India captain Rohit Sharma, who had retired hurt in the game against Ireland, after getting hit on the shoulder because of uneven bounce, took a potshot and said that ‘even curators are confused’ because ‘the pitches behave differently on different days’.
Rohit also spoke about how he doesn’t want India to rely on just Virat Kohli and revealed the moment he decided Rishabh Pant would be batting in the top order.
“New York is not our home ground. We have played two matches here but we don’t have much awareness about its nature. It behaves differently on different days, so even the curator is confused,” Rohit said during the pre-match media interaction. “So, you can imagine the kind of thinking we need to put in. We don’t know on which pitch we are playing (against Pakistan), so whoever plays better cricket will win the match,” he added.
The Indian captain spoke about how he expects Kohli to bounce back after an indifferent first game.
“I don’t want to rely on one individual to win us the game. Everyone needs to chip in. He didn’t play the Bangladesh game. He didn’t have a great outing in the first game, but we all know he brings in a wealth of experience.”
With Rohit and Kohli as openers, India used Pant at No.3 in their first game. Pant also did the same role in the warm-up game against Bangladesh and Rohit shared his thoughts about the role of the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Rohit also spoke about how he doesn’t want India to rely on just Virat Kohli and revealed the moment he decided Rishabh Pant would be batting in the top order. (AP | PTI)
“ I watched Pant play the first few matches in the IPL and made up my mind. It was about having the right batting position. His counter-attacking skill will be helpful, given we cannot play Yashasvi [Jaiswal]. He has got an all-round game. Besides the openers, none of the other batting positions are fixed, unless it is a Super Over. We want to be flexible,” Rohit Sharma said.
It will come down to attitude and “body language” in the big-game scenario against Pakistan, according to Rohit.
“I am pretty confident. Body language plays a big part for any game. There is no room for complacency. Any team can beat any on a given day. You cannot relax. If you don’t have a good day, you can take some brilliant catches and that can change the complexion of the game,” Rohit said.
Not only is the pitch creating problems for batsmen but the slow outfield has added to the woes, Rohit said.
“The outfield is slow. Some shots get a lot of bounce on the field, and some others do not roll on the field. So running between the wickets is important. We need to play as per conditions,” Rohit said.
In a statement on Thursday, the ICC acknowledged that the pitches have ‘not played consistently’. “… the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted. The world-class grounds team have been working hard since the conclusion of yesterday’s game to remedy the situation,” the ICC said.
The highest score in New York is 137/7 posted by Canada against Ireland, a game Canada won by 12 runs. Though India chased down the target of 97 against Ireland, Rohit and Rishabh Pant were struck on the body because of unpredictable bounce.
On Saturday, Netherlands posted 103 for 9 and South Africa lost six wickets and took 18.5 overs to overhaul the target.
However, Rohit also added that the Indian team had enough experience to counter the conditions.
“Playing good cricket holds the key, not opposition, not pitch. Yes, it’s tough but that’s why I would like to highlight the experience we have. The blows count for nothing,” Rohit said.
The Indian captain also said that the batsmen were capable of taking on the Pakistan quicks on what is likely to be a tough batting surface.
“When we play in places like South Africa, and Australia, we have to overcome the challenges. The Gabba Test is one big example. We thrive in these difficult moments. It’s the World Cup so nothing can get bigger than this. The blows can be secondary and putting the team’s cause comes first.”
