India-Pakistan match gets the world cricket fans excited. English dailies reported that the ticket sales for the match between the two countries had increased dramatically, with the price of a ticket increasing from $1,000 to $4,000 (roughly Rs. 83,000-Rs. 3.34 lakhs in Indian currency). Advertising revenue has also increased for ICC.
However, cricket critics are criticizing the fact that the ICC has crossed the line on the field this time, increasing the income manifold through the India-Pakistan match.
How the team will use the pitch in the league match between India and Pakistan in Group A of the T20 World Cup in New York today (09) has created great expectations.
The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York has scored 96 runs in two matches so far. The uneven surface of the pitch, lack of proper maintenance, and lack of maintenance of quality are what make the fast bowlers nervous.
If the fast bowlers bowled on this wicket, the batsmen were stuck in the last two matches not knowing where the ball would pitch but how it would rise. Not only that, but sometimes the batsmen’s bodies have also been damaged by this pitch. So, success lies in how both teams will use this pitch as their weapon.
As far as T20 World Cup history is concerned, India has beaten Pakistan in all the World Cup matches so far except the 2021 World Cup. T20 World Cup is dominated by India.
How is the Indian team prepared?
Indian opener and captain Rohit Sharma proved his form by scoring a half-century on a poor pitch in the first match. Rohit Sharma retires after being hit on the shoulder by the ball. Even though Virat Kohli cheated with few runs, his form in the IPL series was threatening.
This time the bullpen was given the new responsibility of fielding as the 3rd man. Rishabh Pant batted brilliantly against Ireland in the first match. So can continue to be fielded at No. 3. 360-degree player Suryakumar Yadav has been out of form in the IPL series as well, and his batting has raised a lot of expectations as he cheated in the first match of this World Cup as well. Shivam Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patol are batsmen to strengthen the middle order.
Because New York’s pitch favors fast bowling, fast bowlers may be given more chances. Hence, Bumrah, Siraj, Arshdeep Singh will play in this match as well. Both Sahal and Kuldeep, who are full-time spinners, are unlikely to get a chance.
As far as the bowling is concerned, Bumrah’s bowling on the New York pitch has come down to the sharp arrow batsmen in the last game. Bumrah bowled 4 overs and gave only 7 runs. Similarly when Arshdeep Singh bowls from around stick, the ball swings well. Arshdeep Singh’s bowling will become a big headache for right-handed batsmen. Siraj’s bowling in the first match did not take much. But we can hope that he will play well against Pakistan.
In the game against Ireland, the Indian fast bowlers quickly understood the nature of the pitch and bowled accordingly. This is why he was able to roll for 96 runs. There are total 4 wickets in this ground.
The South Africa-Sri Lanka match took place in the first wicket and the India-Ireland match took place in the 4th wicket. India-Pakistan match is expected to be played on which wicket.
What is the status of Pakistan team?
Pakistan suffered a shock defeat in their first match against an inexperienced US team. Pakistan has faced this defeat by appointing coach Gary Christon, who won the World Cup for India, to strengthen the Pakistan team.
The fact that they scored more than 150 runs against the American team and did not give it away can tell you about the bowling quality of that team. In this case, Pakistan will face the Indian team tomorrow at the new pitch in New York.
The pitch where the two teams will face each other in New York is not only new, but also the one that neither team has played on before. Pakistan’s bowling of Shahinsha Afridi, Haris Raf, Naseem Shah and Amir is highly expected as it is said to favor fast bowling. Especially with the new ball, Afridi’s bowling can be a tough challenge for the Indian batsmen.
Although there is a big force in batting like Babar Azam, Faqar Zaman, Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shatab Khan, Imad Wasim, they did not bat much against America. Babar Azam, who is hailed as the best batsman internationally, struggled to add runs in the first game.
Rizwan’s performance against India is highly anticipated. The fact that the Indian team has already played at the New York stadium is an added advantage. But since Pakistan is playing for the first time, they can win only if they study the ground well and plan the field.
As Pakistan have already lost the first match, if they win this match they can easily win the next 2 matches against the teams and go to the Super-8 round. Maybe if we lose the game against India, we will have to win big in the last two games and wait for the other teams to win and lose. So, this game is important for Pakistan.
Weapons pitch
A ‘drop-in pitch’ is a pitch set up at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. That is, the pitch has been artificially created from outside and installed here. Usually, once a drop-in pitch is brought in and set up, it takes some time for it to ‘set’ i.e. become a proper pitch. The pitch can be used for international matches only after several matches have been held.
ICC has hired the chief pitch designer of Adelaide Stadium to design this pitch. According to Cricinfo website, the ground was handed over to the ICC on the first day of the practice match between Bangladesh and India after all the work was completed. If the weather is good in New York, where the tournament is held, the pitch will be well laid out. But the pitch is still not fully ‘set’ as it is cold, snowy and raining. That means it has not become suitable for international competition.
It is puzzling how the ICC decided to hold 11 matches in the World Cup on a pitch that has not yet become eligible for international competition.
The first match was between South Africa and Sri Lanka on the number one pitch in the stadium. The Sri Lankan team perished in the experiment. India and Ireland clashed on pitch number 4. Unable to face the Indian bowling, Ireland were bowled out for 96 runs.
This is why bouncers suddenly jump and swing when fast bowlers bowl. The batsmen have become the lion’s share as they have been able to score very few runs in both the matches. In both matches, the highest score in an innings was 96 not out.
Will pitch number 3 be used?
Even if the fast bowler tries to swing less on the pitch, the ball swings more and becomes wide. Thus one has to bowl with control, with great accuracy, on line length. In the last match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Irish player Harry Tector were injured by the ball.
In tomorrow’s match, both India and Pakistan have strong fast bowlers. When the fast bowlers of both the teams are bowling, the batsmen are in dire straits. It remains to be seen whether the pitch number 2 and 3 will be used in tomorrow’s match or whether the match will be played on the already used pitch.
Tomorrow’s game is likely to be a low-scoring affair with the pitch not fully prepared. So the toss will play an important role in tomorrow’s game.
Even in the ICC statement on the pitch, “The pitch where the India-Ireland match took place was not frequently contested. Steps are being taken to make the pitch world class. We will try to provide a better pitch for the next matches,” said.
So, the pitch will be a key weapon for both the teams to win the game in today’s game
