Ahead of the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan at New York's Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Rohit Sharma opened up regarding the conditions at the ground, which has been criticized for its substandard pitches and outfields.
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Four matches have been played at the newly constructed stadium in the T20 World Cup 2024 so far, with an average first innings score of 103, including two matches which saw the batting team get bowled out under 100.
The bowlers, however, have had a field day, picking up an average of 9 wickets in the first innings thus far, leading to low scoring matches, aided by poor outfields and unpredictable nature of the wicket.
'Even curator is confused' - Rohit Sharma
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the much-hyped India-Pakistan clash, Rohit Sharma opened up about the conditions at the Nassau County Stadium:
"We have no clue which pitch we will play our game on. We spoke to the curators, and they were themselves confused as to how each strip would behave, just imagine how confused we would be considering we come from a country where we aren't too familiar with drop-in pitches."
READ MORE: What is a drop-in pitch?
The opener was asked on how he planned to counter the demons on this pitch.
"In this New York pitch, you don't feel that you can just go and play freely or swing your bat the way you do, uh, in the other venues," he said. "So yeah, you got to be mindful. That's where I think. I want to use my experience and play."
Rohit had to retire hurt in the opening match against Ireland due to an awkward bounce off the bowling of Josh Little. He also got a nasty knock on his thumb during a practice session on Friday.
“The blows don't count for anything. You want to test yourself in these moments. It's the World Cup so nothing can get bigger than this. The blows can be secondary, you need to put the team's cause first." he said.
What has the ICC said about New York's Nassau County pitch?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had released a statement acknowledging the poor state of the pitches at Nassau County stadium.
They have assured the teams that they are working on it diligently to ensure the upcoming matches at the stadium will be played on better wickets. The statement read as follows:
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 and deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches.
When is India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match?
India will take on Pakistan at the Nassau County Stadium on June 9. Both teams have some quality fast bowlers, who will look to take advantage of the pacer-friendly conditions at the venue so far.
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