Curators were themselves confused: Rohit slams New York’s drop-in pitch ahead of India-Pakistan clash

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma criticised the drop-in pitch in New York ahead of the marquee clash against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday. Rohit said even the curators were confused regarding how the pitch would behave in the game.

Rohit Sharma slammed the New York pitch ahead of India-Pakistan clash. (Photo: BCCI)

New York: India captain Rohit Sharma lashed out at the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York ahead of the all-important clash against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday, June 09. The sluggish pitch has come under the scanner due to uneven bounce and its two-paced nature. Nearly all matches in New York have been low-scoring affairs so far with bowlers dominating the proceedings.

While scoring has been incredibly difficult on the drop-in pitch, the pacers have enjoyed bowling on the surface. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Pakistan clash in New York, Rohit slammed the pitch stating that they he has no clue on what pitch will the game be played on Sunday.

The Indian skipper said him and the Indian team management are confused regarding how the pitch will behave and that even the curators have little idea about the same. Expressing his frustration, the Indian captain said it was more confusing for the Indian team as they are not used to playing on drop-in pitches.

“We have no clue which pitch we will play our game on. We spoke to the curators and they were themselves confused as to how each strip would behave, just imagine how confused we would be considering we come from a country where we aren’t too familiar with drop-in pitches,” Rohit said in the presser.

However, the Indian captain insisted better application from the batters can help them ease their way on the pitch and score runs. The Hitman said he would like to utilise his experience when he comes out to bat for India against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday and score big in the game.

“In this New York pitch, you don’t feel that you can just go and play freely or swing your bat the way you do, uh, in the other venues. So yeah, you got to be mindful. That’s where I think. I want to use my experience and play,” Rohit added.

ICC admits changes to New York pitch ahead of India-Pakistan clash

In a statement released ahead of the marquee clash between India and Pakistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) accepted that the pitch at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is not up to the mark and said it is working to make it better. The ICC said it is working hard to ensure a better surface is provided for the India-Pakistan game.

It remains to be seen how the surface will behave when the two arch-rivals go up against each other in front of a packed crown in New York on Sunday.