 "India vs Ireland, T20 World Cup: What's the pitch like for Nassau County International Stadium ahead of IND vs IRE?")
India lock horns against Ireland in their 2024 T20 World Cup opener in New York on Wednesday. Team India are coming on the back of a 60-run win over Bangladesh in their only warm-up game at the Nassau County International Stadium, where the Men in Blue’s three out of four group matches will be held.
T20 World Cup 2024: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table
India haven’t won the T20 World Cup since the inaugural edition in 2007, and are yet to win a major ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy in England.
Rohit Sharma will lead India once again, having led them in the 2022 edition as well where they were knocked out in the semi-finals. India’s match against Ireland will be followed by their blockbuster clash against Pakistan (9 June), before facing co-hosts USA (12 June), also in New York. The team will then travel to Florida for the final group match against Canada on 15 June.
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The Rahul Dravid-coached side boast of a strong batting lineup. Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the contenders to open with Rohit Sharma. There’s good depth of batting with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, who scored a 23-ball 40* against Bangladesh on 1 June.
The bowling department will be led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who will have Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj for support. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are good seam-bowling options. As far as the spin department is concerned, the team management have gone with four spinners — Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. If KulCha could reunite against Ireland is anyone’s guess.
Impact Shorts
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On Monday, Sri Lanka took on South Africa in New York, where the Lankans were bowled out for 77. It wasn’t easy for the Proteas in the chase, who had to sweat it out before securing a six-wicket win.
So, what’s the pitch like in New York on Wednesday?
Nassau County International Stadium pitch report
A slow and sluggish pitch can be expected at the Nassau County International Stadium in New York on Wednesday. It’s a two-paced wicket as was the case during the Sri Lanka-South Africa match on Monday. There will be some swing and bounce on offer for the pacers whereas spinners will also get an assistance. This means, the India batters could be in for a difficult time in the middle and key will be on accurate strokeplay.
The drop-in pitches, however, have received criticism after Sri Lanka were bundled out for a low score, with head coach Rahul Dravid even calling the ground “soft and spongy”. Even the outfield has been questioned.
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