Despite his team’s comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Ireland in their T20 World Cup 2024 opener, India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed concerns over the disconcerting bounce on the new drop-in pitch at Nassau County ground, which left him with a bruised right bicep.
Chasing 97 to win, Rohit slammed 52 off 37 balls before being forced to retire hurt after a delivery from Ireland pacer Joshua Little bounced unexpectedly high, causing him to miss a pull shot and get hit on the bicep of his right arm.
"Yeah, just a little sore (the arm). I said it at the toss as well. Quite unsure of what to expect from the pitch. Not aware of what it is to play on a pitch that's five months old," Rohit said at the presentation ceremony.
"I don't think the wicket settled down even when we batted second. There was enough for the bowlers," he added.
It took the Indian bowlers just 16 overs to bundle out Ireland for a mere 96 after Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to field first. No Irish batters managed to touch the 30-run mark. Gareth Delany was the top scorer with 26 off 14 balls.
While Hardik Pandya (3/27 in 4 overs) claimed three wickets, Jasprit Bumrah (2/6 in 3 overs) and Arshdeep Singh (2/35 in 4 overs) returned with two scalps each. Akshar Patel (1/3 in 1 over) and Mohammed Siraj (1/13 in 3 overs) also chipped in with wicket apiece.
"Try to hit those lengths consistently. That's pretty much what you have got to do. All these guys have played a lot of Test cricket. Arshdeep is the only guy who hasn't. His two wickets upfront set the tone for us," the Indian captain said.
India didn’t pick any of the two premier spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal – in their playing XI. Instead, they went with spin all-rounders – Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel – in their line-up.
Rohit isn't certain if they will be needed to bring four spinners in New York, at least for the upcoming match.
"Don't think we can play four spinners here (laughs). When we picked the team, we wanted to have the balance. If conditions are there for seamers, we wanted to have that. Spin will play a part later on (West Indies).
"Today was a four-seamer pitch and we still managed to get two spinners who are all-rounders."
The highly-anticipated India versus Pakistan clash is slated to take place at the same venue on June 9 and fans, players and experts alike will all be hoping for the ICC to take the needed measures to make it a spectacle.
Rohit Sharma isn’t sure what to expect from the pitch for the upcoming encounter against Pakistan.
"I don't know what to expect from the pitch to be honest. We will prepare as if the conditions are going to be like this (for the Pakistan game). This is going to be a kind of game where all of us will need to contribute."
Commenting on his own innings, Rohit said: "It was scratchy, but good to spend some time in the middle and understand what kind of shots to play there."
Bumrah, who was declared Player-of-the-Match for his exceptional bowling figures, has no complaints about the conditions on offer at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.
"Coming from India, with the ball seaming around, I wouldn't complain when there's help for bowlers. In this format, you have to adapt to the conditions, you have to be proactive," Bumrah stated.
"Trying to stick to the plans and trying to go back to what has worked for me. You always want to cover all the bases in these conditions. You got to be prepared, very happy with the outing today."
Ireland skipper Paul Stirling admitted that the Indian bowlers’ stunning display left little opportunity for his side to take risks and play aggressive shots during the match.
"We needed to put a bit of pressure back on the Indian bowlers. They didn't really miss that often. Their groupings and lengths were outstanding," Stirling remarked.
(With PTI inputs)
