"Even the curator is confused" - Rohit Sharma on unpredictability of New York pitch ahead of T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has candidly admitted that he's not sure what to expect from the surface at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where India face arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup on Sunday, June 9. The Indian captain added that even the curator is confused over the behavior of the pitches in New York.
The surfaces on offer at the Nassau County Stadium for the ongoing Men's T20 World Cup have come in for a lot of criticism for being too bowler-friendly. South Africa bowled out Sri Lanka 77 in the first match in New York, while India bundled out Ireland for 96 in the second. Both the Proteas and the Men in Blue, though, couldn't get home fluently.
At a press conference ahead of the marquee India vs Pakistan clash, Rohit opened up in detail on the pitch chatter and admitted that the team has no idea over how the surface for Sunday's mega clash will behave.
"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.
"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 went on to add.
The 37-year-old added, like the pitch, the outfield at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York is also unpredictable.
"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," the Indian captain elaborated.
Despite clearly struggling to deal with the conditions on offer, India managed to chase down a target of 97 against Ireland in 12.2 overs courtesy of Rohit (52 off 37) and Rishabh Pant (36* off 26).
"Blows secondary, putting the team's cause first" - Rohit
While India pulled off a crucial win against Ireland under tough batting circumstances, both Rohit and Pant took hits on the body from awkward deliveries. Playing down the blows he and Pant took, the Indian captain said that playing good cricket, keeping the conditions aside, is the key objective of the team.
"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 commented.
"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.
While India began their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign with a hard-fought win against Ireland, Pakistan were stunned by co-hosts United States in the Super Over in their tournament opener.