The stage is set for the match of the tournament, as a confident India will look to capitalise on an unpredictable Pakistan’s vulnerability to adjust to the tricky conditions in New York when the Asian rivals lock horns in the much-anticipated ICC T20 World Cup Group A clash on Sunday.
The high-octane clash, expected to draw the biggest crowd of the tournament so far, will be held at the newly constructed 34,000-seater Nassau County International Cricket Stadium at Eisenhower Park on the outskirts of the city.
Heading into the contest, the drop-in pitch will again be at the centre of discussion after having already faced significant criticism for its unpredictability, which the International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially acknowledged. In the six innings of the three matches hosted at the stadium so far, teams have surpassed the 100-run mark only twice.
The uneven bounce of the surface has already raised safety concerns for the batters, especially after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma was hit on his shoulder, forcing him to retire hurt during the tournament opener against Ireland on June 5.
“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 XI of us will need to contribute,” Rohit had said after the game against Ireland.
A day after India’s game, the ICC had to release a statement, addressing the growing concerns surrounding the pitches prepared for the New York-leg of this T20 World Cup.
“The ICC recognise that the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted,” the statement read.
The Pakistan team, however, is yet to acclimatise to the conditions at the Nassau Stadium. They arrived in New York on Thursday night following their shocking defeat to tournament hosts USA and took the next day off.
As a result, Babar Azam and Co has had limited time to adjust to these challenging conditions, which could be a disadvantage heading into this crucial encounter. And a loss against India could affect their chances of advancing to the next round.
Against Ireland, India left out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI and opted for an extra specialist fast bowler. But on Sunday, Yadav could be back in the mix considering his red-hot form and his favourable match-up against the likes of Babar. In that scenario, one out of Axar Patel or Ravindra Jadeja may have to sit out. The batting is more or less settled with Rohit and Virat Kohli expected to continue as openers and Rishabh Pant taking the No.3 slot.
Pakistan, on the other hand, would be hoping to regroup after the opening shock. Babar blamed the loss primarily on bowlers but what he cannot afford to overlook is the underwhelming performance of the team’s batters, including him. The captain consumed 43 deliveries for his 44, which is nowhere close to being a decent strike rate in the shortest format. He would be hoping to do better.
And with the conditions assisting the faster bowlers as Jasprit Bumrah had pointed out after the Ireland game, it won’t be surprising that the lethal Pakistani pace attack could return a handful.