The highly-anticipated India versus Pakistan encounter in the ongoing T20 World Cup is all set to be held in New York on Sunday (June 9).
On the eve of the marquee clash, India skipper Rohit Sharma addressed a press conference, where he expressed his confusion over the unpredictable pitch at Nassau County ground.
Rohit admitted uncertainty about what to expect from the track in the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, highlighting that even the curator isn’t sure about the behavior of the drop-in wickets being utilized at the venue.
India’s three Group A matches are scheduled at this ground, which has witnessed low scores in the competition so far.
The Men in Blue bowled out Ireland for a paltry 96 in their tournament opener in New York on June 5. After the game, the disconcerting bounce on the new drop-in pitch raised significant safety concerns.
"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 told reporters.
"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.
Rohit pointed put that the sluggishness of the outfield has aggravated the concerns. "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," he explained.
Nevertheless, the Indian captain expressed confidence in his team’s ability to deal with challenging circumstances.
"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," said Rohit, referring to the hits he and Rishabh Pant took in the match against Ireland.
India will come up against Pakistan's formidable fast bowlers such Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseen Shah. However, Rohit isn’t concerned about it given the team's prior experience of playing in pace-friendly conditions.
"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 said.
Rohit Sharma hinted that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will continue to bat at No. 3 as he did against Ireland.
"I had to look at Rishabh in the few games in IPL to make up my mind on where he will bat in the World Cup," he said.
Historically, India have dominated Pakistan in World Cups, with the latter securing victory only once in 15 games. However, Rohit emphasized that they won't rely solely on past records while also stressing that there is no extra pressure when playing against the arch-rivals.
"Nothing changes. We have played them seven months back in the Asia Cup and (ODI) World Cup. But T20 is unpredictable. That's what T20 cricket is all about.
"Last World Cup, Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe but ended up playing the final. On your day anyone can beat anyone," he remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)
