Rohit Sharma Brushes Aside ‘Body Blows’ Ahead Of IND Vs PAK Clash, Says ‘Nothing Gets Bigger Than World Cup’
India captain Rohit Sharma has been a victim of sluggish pitch conditions In New York. He got hit against Ireland before getting hit on the thumb during practice.
New York: A warrior-like personality came out of Rohit Sharma on the eve of India’s marquee T20 World Cup 2024 against Pakistan as the Indian captain brushed aside the body blows he encountered during the training session and the Ireland game due to sluggish pitches in New York. The pitches in New York have come under severe criticism by the former players due to their unusual nature so far in the tournament.
While Rohit had to leave the field after he was hit on the shoulder by a rising Joshua Little delivery, he got a blow on his thumb against India’s Sri Lankan throwdown specialist Nuwan Seneviratne on Friday. “It’s tough but that’s why I would like to highlight the experience we have,” Rohit said when asked about the conditions during the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“The blows count for nothing. When you play in places like South Africa and Australia, we have to overcome the challenges. The Gabba Test is one big example. We thrive in these difficult moments. It’s the World Cup, so nothing can get bigger than this,” added the skipper.
The matches in New York have seen low scores, including in India’s first match against Ireland when the latter was bowled out for a sub-100 total. The ICC had to issue a statement acknowledging the inconsistent nature of the tracks.
“New York is not our home ground. We have played two matches here but we don’t have much awareness about its nature. It behaves differently on different days, so even the curator is confused,” Rohit said on the eve of the game against Pakistan.
“So, you can imagine the kind of thinking we need to put in. We don’t know on which pitch we are playing (against Pakistan), so, whoever plays better cricket will win the match,” he added. The slowness of the outfield, Rohit said, has compounded the worries.
“The outfield is slow. Some shots get lot of bounce on the field, and some others do not roll on the field. So running between the wickets is important. We need to play as per conditions,” he explained.
The Mumbaikar hinted that Rishabh Pant will continue to bat at No. 3 as he did against Ireland. “I had to look at Rishabh in the few games in IPL to make up my mind on where he will bat in the World Cup,” he said.
India have always had an edge over Pakistan in the World Cups, but Rohit was not ready to rest on the past records. But he also insisted that there is no additional pressure playing against the arch-rivals.
“Nothing changes. We have played them seven months back in the Asia Cup and (ODI) World Cup. But T20 is unpredictable. That’s what T20 cricket is all about. Last World Cup, Pakistan lost to Zimbabwe but ended up playing the final. On your day anyone can beat anyone,” he added.
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