Bemused with what the nature of the Nassau County ground's pitch could have in hold for the action, India skipper Rohit Sharma was left extremely unsure what they would get for the all-important World Cup T20 showdown against Pakistan. Sharma observed that even the curators have no idea about the behavior of the drop-in wickets at the venue.
Matches here have seen some pretty meager totals, including the one between India and Ireland, in which the latter was bundled out for less than 100 runs, which the ICC accepted, noting the variation of the pitch. Sharma hammered on the point of general unfamiliarity with the ground. He indicated that they got to visit it only a few times because of washed-out session days.
"And about the pitch, well even the curator (Damien Hough from Australia) doesn't know how the pitch will behave. It behaves differently on different days," Rohit said in the pre-match press meet ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash.
Sharma underlined how setting up for the variable bounce at the New York deck is paramount for any batsman, recalling both he and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant taking blows from the Ireland match. He stressed the need for mental resilience when representing the nation at the highest level, drawing parallels with overcoming challenges in places like South Africa and Australia.
"When you are playing at the highest level, all these blows that you get, I don't think it counts for anything. We saw many examples when you play in places like South Africa, Australia, and you have to cross those hurdles," he said
With a focus on what India did at the Gabba, Sharma insisted on the need for mental toughness in international cricket. He said his players need to keep the team objectives ahead of their personal concerns, especially in a tournament like the World Cup.
Sharma said that the team strategized for playing good cricket against Pakistan and that the strategy remained alike despite the opponent and pitch conditions. Acknowledging that teams from the subcontinent were relatively unfamiliar with the concept of drop-in pitches, he recommended that his colleagues make some intelligent choices.
Regarding the upset Pakistan created on the first day by losing to the USA, Sharma opined that that is just how T20 cricket is, and therefore, one couldn't take any opponent lightly. He believed that India should concentrate on its game plan and do it correctly.
Sharma's choice to decide to promote Pant to Number 3, Pant, explained that his credible performance in the IPL tournament that took place in the very same country was enough to convince Sharma regarding the decision. He also referenced Pant's aggressive play to spin, which he deemed essential as the tournament progressed further.
Sharma quoted that, yes, the form of Virat Kohli was good in the recent series leading to the World Cup, but it was not at all advisable to rely on the form of one player alone. He trusted the experience and ability of Kohli to fire when needed.
As far as the competitiveness of the match against Pakistan is concerned, Sharma termed it just another match and said that, despite the obvious historical significance of the match, this is nothing to wild out. He also alerted the crowd to the increased number of matches between the two teams compared to previous years, terming it a sort of normalization of the rivalry.
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