The former England batting coach hopes that Nassau County International Cricket Stadium will provide a fair contest during the T20 World Cup 2024 match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on Sunday.
Various parameters like pitch conditions and Weather have made concerns about the high-stakes clash. The unpredictable nature of Pitch has specifically made for the T20 World Cup games proved to be more unchallengeable for batters due to excessive swing and uneven bounce. Recently Sri Lanka was bowled out for 77 runs by South Africa while Ireland scored only 96 runs against India.
Mark Ramprakash on Pitch conditions ahead of IND-PAK Clash
While speaking in the media, Mark Ramprakash said, “The USA’s stunning victory over Pakistan on Thursday has given this World Cup an upset for the ages – now it’s time for the game’s established giants to really bring it to life. This weekend sees two of the sport’s great rivalries renewed with England playing Australia on Saturday and Pakistan, now fighting to stay in the tournament, facing India on Sunday.”
“If the matches we have seen so far are any indication, they will be completely contrasting games, with England’s in Barbados, a familiar and often high-scoring ground, and India’s in the new pop-up stadium near New York, where batting has so far proved very difficult indeed. That is recognized now as the biggest game in global cricket and I expect it to be another very exciting occasion – I just hope we get a surface conducive to a good contest.”
He also pointed out Pakistan’s batting struggles during the match against the United States and compared them to India’s batting lineup. “India and Pakistan have bowlers who can make the most of these conditions, but Pakistan’s struggles against the USA suggest the same is not true of their batters.”
“In Babar Azam and Virat Kohli both sides have players of absolute world class who can come in and play a more traditional type of innings. Where India looks to have the edge is in power-hitting, with Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube all high-class options. Pakistan looked poor in their two recent games in England and even worse against the USA, and need others to support Fakhar Zaman with that style of play.”
He also questions about the selection of wicket-keeper Axam Khan who has been struggling with his form in recent times.
“They have taken a risk on Azam Khan, who has an international T20 average of only 8.80 but brings potentially useful – if not in this particular match – experience from the Caribbean Premier League. Whether his game will be suited to a quick New York pitch that requires lightning reactions is for Pakistan to consider; the way Mark Wood dismissed him at the Oval last week, with a fast bouncer into the body, suggests he may struggle.”
“This is an occasion for sharp skills and calm heads, a real one-off, and both sides will be considering the type of cricketers they select for this game and whether those individuals can be successful on this particular surface,” he concluded.
The weather in New York has also created major concerns in the IND-PAK encounter. Despite the rain chances, fans can expect a full 20-over match on Sunday. Read India vs Pakistan weather reports for detailed reports in New York City.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj, Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan
Pakistan Squad
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
