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India's captain Rohit Sharma expressed mixed feelings about the pitch at the Nassau County ground. While leading his team to a comfortable victory over Ireland, he was also left nursing a bruised bicep after being struck by a delivery with disconcerting bounce. "Just a little sore," Rohit admitted at the post-match presentation, clearly frustrated by the uneven bounce. "Quite unsure of what to expect from this pitch," he added, highlighting his unfamiliarity with such a young drop-in surface.
This unpredictability, however, seemed to be music to the ears of India's pace attack, particularly Jasprit Bumrah.
Used to flatter pitches in India, Bumrah relished the opportunity to exploit the seaming conditions. "Coming from India, with the ball seaming around, I wouldn't complain," he said with a smile. "You have to adapt to the conditions, you have to be proactive," he emphasized, highlighting the importance of adjusting to unfamiliar surfaces in T20 cricket.
Looking forward, Rohit remains unsure about the pitch for the upcoming high-pressure clash against Pakistan: "I don't know what to expect to be honest. We will prepare as if the conditions are going to be like this." He emphasized the need for a complete team effort: "This is going to be a kind of game where all XI of us will need to contribute."
T20 WC: Vaughan fumes at 'sub-standard' New York pitch
Former England captain Michael Vaughan unleashed a scathing criticism of the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, calling it "sub-standard" after India bundled out Ireland for a mere 96 runs in their T20 World Cup opener. The lively pitch offered significant bounce and seam movement, favoring the Indian pace attack led by Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh.
Vaughan expressed his disapproval on social media, stating: "Trying to promote cricket in the US is great, but forcing players onto this sub-standard surface in New York is unacceptable. They work so hard to reach the World Cup, only to play on this?" This isn't an isolated incident.
This marks the second consecutive match at the venue where a team has been dismissed for under 100 runs. Just two days prior, South Africa skittled Sri Lanka for a meager 77 on their way to a comfortable win. The culprit seems to be the drop-in pitch, which has heavily favored the fast bowlers. South Africa's Anrich Nortje exemplified this, claiming four wickets and conceding only seven runs in his full quota of four overs against Sri Lanka.
India, who capitalized on the pitch conditions to dismantle Ireland, will face further tests on this same surface. Their next two matches, against Pakistan on June 9th and the co-hosts USA on June 12th, will be played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. Whether the pitch holds up and offers a more balanced contest for batters remains to be seen.