Rohit Sharma’s wounded bicep is expected to recover before the game against Pakistan on Sunday, but the Nassau County ground’s track, which is “bordering on dangerous with huge open cracks,” is now a source of concern for cricket stakeholders trying to sell the sport in America through the current T20 World Cup. India began their campaign with an eight-wicket win over Ireland in a low-scoring fight in which they were bowled out for 96 in 16 overs. Rohit, who got a half-century in the victorious chase, was hit in the right bicep by pacer Josh Little and had to retire injured.
The ball that struck him abruptly took off from length on a pitch with a high degree of uneven bounce. Rishabh Pant was also struck on the left elbow during his 36-minute outing. “Rohit’s injury isn’t significant. He himself stated that it is a little sore. He should be fine for the Pakistan game (on Sunday) as of today. “There are two practice sessions before that,” a top BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Aside from the injury risk, the surface, which was transported from Adelaide expressly for the World Cup, has aroused concerns. India is set to play two more games at this stadium.
A roller may help to balance out the cracks, although such pitches are known to take some time to settle for batting.
While Indian pacers flirted with a highly competent T20 team like Ireland, even Arshdeep Singh’s biggest fan could not have predicted that his deliveries would shoot off like surface-to-air missiles.
The ICC guidelines for pitch quality are pretty clear. An assessment would be conducted only after the competition, and if determined to be substandard, the track’s total rating would be reduced.
