NEW DELHI: India captain
Rohit Sharma
is expected to recover from a bruised bicep in time for the highly anticipated
T20 World Cup
match against Pakistan on Sunday. However, concerns over the
pitch conditions
at
Nassau County
have overshadowed preparations for the marquee clash.
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Rohit Sharma was struck on his right bicep by a delivery from Ireland's Josh Little during India's opening match of the tournament.
The delivery, which unexpectedly rose from a length, forced Rohit to retire hurt after scoring a half-century. Although the injury is not considered serious, with Rohit expected to participate in the next two practice sessions, the state of the pitch has raised significant safety concerns.
A senior
BCCI
source provided an update on Rohit’s condition, stating, "Rohit's injury isn't serious. He himself said that it's a bit sore. He should be okay for the Pakistan game as of now."
The pitch at Nassau County, described as "semi-dangerous" and unfit for T20 cricket, has been criticized for its uneven surface and large cracks. These conditions have led to unpredictable bounce, making it hazardous for players.
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan and other experts have expressed scathing assessments of the pitch, questioning the lack of practice games to allow the surface to settle.
"It is actually a very fresh pitch. There is a fair grass cover but along with it are big cracks. So it will seam but also take off from length. Now when you have a fresh track like this, you first try out a few games like you do beta testing with a new app. Then you release it in the market. It is not a T20 wicket and all four tracks look the same," said a source close to the Indian team.
Despite these issues, the Indian team management is not expected to file an official complaint about the track. However, the discomfort and displeasure are apparent, particularly after the pitch conditions led to dangerous deliveries during the match against Ireland.
"One should be glad that nothing serious happened to Rohit and Rishabh (Pant). They are fine," the source added. Pant also had a close call during the match, but both players escaped serious injury.
Ireland's Harry Tector had to undergo a mandatory concussion test after being struck by a
Jasprit Bumrah
delivery, which first hit his gloves and then his helmet before
Virat Kohli
completed the catch.
Former Indian cricketer
Irfan Pathan
voiced strong criticism of the pitch on Star Sports, saying, "Look, we definitely want to promote cricket in America, but this pitch is not safe for players. If we had a pitch like this in India, a match would never be played there again for a very long time. This pitch is definitely not good. I mean, we are talking about the World Cup here, not even a bilateral series."
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