Having been at the receiving end of the uneven bounce, Rohit Sharma is aware of the unpredictable nature of the drop-in pitch installed at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium for the 2024 T20 World Cup. A blow that he took on his arm in India’s tournament opener against Ireland that was held at the venue, forced him to retire hurt after he had scored a fine half-century.
Now, ahead of India’s highly anticipated contest with old rivals Pakistan, Rohit says the pitch continues to be a mystery even though they have played two matches (warmup against Bangladesh and opening match vs Ireland) on it.
“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 on Saturday.
“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.
Also Read: How New York Pitch is Being Fixed Ahead of IND-PAK WC Match
Not just the pitch, even the slowness of the outfield has left Rohit confused.
“The outfield is slow. Some shots get 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.
Besides Rohit, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant also took multiple blows on his body against Ireland.
Rohit says the conditions might be challenging but that’s where the experience of his players will keep the team in a good stead.
“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,” he said.
“When we play in places like South Africa, and Australia, we have to overcome the challenges. 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,” he added.
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