“It Could Get Dangerous”: India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup Venue Pitch Gets Big Thumbs Down

The India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match is one clash that cricket fans around the world always focusses on. This time at the 2024 T20 World Cup, the match will be held at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. However, the venue has been garnering all kinds of negative attention due to the nature of its pitch. The venue has drop-in pitches and from the two matches it has hosted so far (India vs Ireland on Wednesday being one of them) the pitch looked unsettled.

There was variable bounce and Indian batters Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant copped a few blows.  

“It’s not the best of pitches. T20 cricket as a format is generally tilted in favour of the batters. This one is tilted in favour of the bowlers but not for the right reasons. It is spongy and the odd one bounces over the head. Then it stay low too. Does not make for good viewing. This pitch hasn’t settled. It was made in Adelaide, kept at Miami because the weather is better there and then re-laid in New York two weeks back. Drop-in pitches is new, and has done well, especially in Australia. But here  it hasn’t settled. It will be a point people will be talking about ahead of the big match (India vs Pakistan) in a few days,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz. 

Harsha Bhogle, who was part of the discussion, also pulled no punches: “It could get dangerous. Karthik was really polite when he said its not the best. There was one ball that their (Ireland’s) NO. 10 or 11 face. His weight was forward and the ball went over his head. It’s all dangerous at this level.”

On a pitch that had plenty of bounce and seam, Indian bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, bundled out Ireland for a paltry 96. 

In fact, this was the second match in a row in New York a team was bowled out for a total less than 100.

On June 3, South Africa had fired out Sri Lanka for 77 en route their six-wicket victory.

The drop-in deck at the venue has been giving excess assistance to the pacers as South Africa’s Anrich Nortje had grabbed four wickets, conceding a mere seven runs from his full quota of four overs, against the Lankans.

India will also play their next two matches at this venue — against Pakistan on June 9 and against co-hosts USA on June 12. 

With PTI inputs