India vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2024 Highlights: IND defeat PAK by six runs in crunch clash

We didn't bat well enough. Halfway through our innings we were in good position. We didn't put enough partnership there and fell short with the bat. We spoke about every run matters on a pitch like that. There was enough in the pitch. Was a good wicket to be honest, compared to the last game. With a bowling lineup like that you feel confident to do the job. Halfway through the stage when they were batting, we got everyone together and said that if it can happen to us, it can happen to them. Little contribution from everyone can make huge difference. He's going from strength to strength (Bumrah). We all know what he can do. Not going to talk too much about him. Want him to be in that mindset throughout the WC. He's a genius, we all know that. Crowd was superb. They never disappoint wherever we play. I'm sure they'll be going home with a big smile. It's just the start, we have a long way to go.

We bowled well. In the batting, lost back to back wickets and had too much dot balls. Tactics was simple to play normally. Just strike rotation and the odd boundary. But in that period we had too many dot balls. Can't expect much from tailenders. Our mind was to utilise first overs in batting. But one wicket down, and again we weren't up to the mark in first six. Pitch looked decent. Ball was coming on nicely. It was a little bit slow, and some balls extra bounce. Have to win last two matches. Will sit and discuss our mistakes but looking forward to last two matches.

Venkata Krishna B: The four overs from Bumrah was always going to play a big role. At the last year’s World Cup, just as Pakistan were mounting a partnership, it was Bumrah who broke their back. And here on Sunday, as Pakistan were on course to chase down the total, it was Bumrah who proved to be the big difference in the end. With the pitch doings its bit, Bumrah didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. He just ensured he hit those lengths which made Pakistan batsmen to use horizontal bat shots, which comes with risk of its own when the ball keeps low. It is how he removed Mohammad Rizwan, who went for a wild slog and ended up losing the stumps. Then bowling the 19th over, he seized total control as his slow deliveries once again were hard to pick. The lone bad ball he bowled - the full-toss - ended up getting the wicket of Iftikhar. Pakistan ended up making a mess out of a routine chase.

Well, Arshdeep did what needed to be done and took India home by 6 runs. It was a brilliant bowling performance from Men in Blue and Rohit Sharma marshalled the troops exceptionally well. Jasprit Bumrah once again showed why he is the best bowler in world cricket. Hardik too gave India vital breakthroughs in the middle overs. As per Pakistan, this loss puts a huge dent not only in their confidence as a team but also qualification process for the next round of the tournament. India now they have one foot in the Super Eight and remaining of the two games we might see them experiment a bit. 

That was exceptional over from Bumrah not only he picked up the wicket of Iftikhar but he left 18 runs to defend for Arshdeep Singh. This has been poor batting from Pakistan they just didn't seem to have a plan after a point on how to go about this chase.

Pakistan needs 21 from 12 balls. It was semi-decent over from Siraj. The frustrating part was the extras he bowled in that over. Plenty depends on how Bumrah will bowl this over and leave Arshdeep Singh to defend in the final one. 

Shadab Khan departs now. Hardik Pandya bowled a bouncer seeing Shadab come down the track and the batter changed his shot mid-way through and pulled it and Rishabh Pant took a brilliant catch. It was an action replay of Fakhar Zaman's wicket. The run rate has now gone over 10 runs per over. Iftikhar has walked into he middle for Pakistan he can hit a few hefty blows but India has bowlers who have exceptional skills at death and most importantly he have to deal with Bumrah. As per India for the first time in the innings, the game is at balance. Given the experience of Rohit as captain and bowler who will bowl the remainder of overs the Indian fans can be cautiously optimistic about this situation 

Well, Bumrah comes Bumrah does what only Bumrah can do which is to deliver a peach of a delivery to turn the game around. He bowled a bowl which moved in slightly. Rizwan trying to play his bread and butter shot which is punching through the square leg missed the ball and the stumps got rattled. The Pakistan keeper was not adding any value to the chase . From anchoring the innings it came to a point where he started to struggle to get the ball away and the wicket had to happen Pakitshan's betterment in the game and it did.  ON the flip sideThe wicket has come Bumrah's third over  is done as well which levels the playing field again. Going into the final passage of the game Pakistan knows they can attack the remainder of four overs and plan for Bumrah's over. Both Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan are very capable of playing such knocks from here on. 

Hardik Pandya comes in and picks up Fakhar Zaman. It was a short one from the bowler which Fakhar tried to pull after coming down the track and got the top edge and ball looped in the air and Pant took a brilliant catch behind the stumps. India is now back in the game but Pakistan is still ahead. Imad Wasim has been sent in to maintain the left-hand right-hand combination from Pakistan's perspective. Rohit is still refraining from using Bumrah in this game. He might be thinking to keep chipping away with these overs in the middle and take the game into a situation where the batters have to take that extra chance. On this pitch with the dimensions and outfield, it will be difficult, and the level notch up definitely against someone like Bumrah. 

Axar gets the wicket of Usman after the break. The batter went onto the back foot to an incoming delivery and tried to push the ball with an angled bat and got himself into an awkward position missed the ball and got LBW. The on-field umpire did not give it out however, Rohit went upstairs and it was three reds on Ball Tracking. Fakhar Zaman has walked into the middle and he has made intentions clear straight away with a sweep and six dancing down the track. This is a tricky phase for India a similar passage when Pant was batting in the first innings. However, India cannot afford the same cameo Pant has played with Fakhar Zaman given the game situation. Arshdeep Singh comes into the attack and this game relies heavily on his discipline in the remainder of three overs. 

It has been a bit all too easy for Pakistan at the moment. They are pushing the ball in vacant spaces and are getting easy ones and twos. Hardik especially has not found the right length for the surface and Pakistan batters have recognized  him as weaker link in this attack and are targeting him. They are Making sure that they get one boundary in the over and rotate strike in the remaining balls. This partnership between Rizwan and Usman Khan is getting ominous. We are reaching the water break and Pakistan is way ahead in this game. If India needs to get back into this game they need to pick Rizwan who is holding an end up. Also, it might be time Rohit brings back Bumrah for an over and looks for that breakthrough before it is too late. 

Nihal Koshie: Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, the old trusted opening pair, could have been back in the dugout if India had held onto their chances, one a sitter, the other a tough caught and bowled chance. In the last ball of the second over, Mohammad Siraj had tried to run out Rizwan by throwing back the ball hit at him. But instead it hit Rizwan the batsman on the forearm. Rizwan completed a single but didn't look pleased. A little tension in the air. Rizwan then stood nearly two feet outside the wicket to deal with Jasprit Bumrah's swing. He got a bit adventurous and flicked the ball to fine leg, where Shivam Dube put down a sitter. Then in the next over, Babar tried to hit the ball past Siraj, only for it to pop up. But the ball was hit with some force and Siraj hardly had any time to react. He got his hands to the ball but it went through. Two quick wickets for India on a wicket on which shot-making was not easy could have been the ideal way to claw back into the match.

The most important passage in this game would be when will India uses spin and how will they bowl on this surface. Imad Wasim was getting plenty of turns in the first innings. Axar is more similar to Imad Wasim than Jadeja. Both Axar and Jadeja need to find the right pace to the surface and bowl because Pakistan have two right handers in middle it might be wise for Rohit to use at least couple of overs from spin. India has not bowled badly but it is the conditions that have changed drastically. The sun is out which means the ball doesn't move as much as it did in the first innings. Also, it will be interesting to see how Rohit Sharma will use Arshdeep Singh here. His spell might be a turning point in this game. 

Well, there is the break though and it is Bumrah with the hard length who does the trick. The ball pitched on hard length was a touch higher than the top of the off-stump Babar got himself into an awkward position and poked at a delivery which probably he would have left on length in Test matches. Surya Kumar Yadav at slip took a brilliant catch. That is a massive wicket for India for two reasons it was slowly starting to bring out the demons of the 2021 Dubai game where Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets and other reason is Babar tends to score the bulk of runs for Pakistan. However, India needs to keep chipping away wickets that is the only way they will have a chance in this game. A word on Mohammad Siraj too who has bowled splendidly from the other end after going for a boundary of the very first ball. 

This is a solid start from Pakistan there is nothing on the surface. Arshdeep has taken the new ball and he could not get any swing. Siraj took the second overpitched ball up and was greeted with a lovely on-drive from Babar Azam who went for a boundary. As we update Dube has dropped a simple catch of Mohammad Rizwan. The fielder was placed there for exactly that shot Rizwan plays through fine leg and square leg region however fielder drops. Bumrah will be disappointed with the effort. India needs to take their catches and convert half-chances into wickets if they have to get two points here. They need to show their intent on the field. As we update Mohammed Siraj drops another catch for India

Nihal Koshie: Rishabh Pant batting at No.3 gives India some real firepower at the top of the order and has the potential to upset bowlers' plans with his unconventional approach. Haris Rauf, bowling around the wicket, was struck for three consecutive fours. The first of the boundaries was via extra cover, not a scoring area considered Pant's strength. The next two were typical Pant. He fell over — like he often does when improvising —  to the off-side and sent the ball with the angled bat to the fine leg boundary. Rauf then came over the wicket but bowled slightly leg-side. Pant needed no invitation and dispatched the ball to the fine leg boundary. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim was reverse swept for a four as Pant did Pant things. However, Pant lived a charmed life. Edged and mishits just falling short or in vacant areas. Pant's innings ended when he skied a delivery from Mohammad Amir after trying to hit straight for a change. Pant could never really cut loose, but showed glimpses of his unconventional shot making.

As a bowling unit we did well but I still think it’s a decent total on this track. We’ll need to bat well. My role was to hit the right areas and build pressure on them, I think I did my job. We need to bat well and sensibly, all the games here have been a bit tricky and low-scoring. We need to start well and finish well.

It is Arshdeep who is the final man who got himself run out to end the innings. What a second-half bowling performance this has been from Pakistan. To be objective it is not a walk in the park for Pakistan in the chase however, it will be easier to bat than it was in the first innings. Rohit Sharma will be tested as a captain today under pressure and so will be Indian bowling attack. One good thing about the Indian pace attack is they tend to hit hard lengths more than the Pakistani bowlers do. They had only Naseem Shah doing it consistently but for India Bumrah, Siraj and even Hardik's natural length is bowling back of a length. However, on the flip side the moisture due to rain would have dried up which means it won't stop as much as it did in the Indian batting innings. But what might happen is we can see that steep bounce come into play once again which has been a feature in games here early on. All in all it will be a fascinating chase stay with us for the second innings action.

Bumrah went for a golden duck after Hardik. India has collapsed after looking good for a brief period in the early part. They were 81/3 in the first 10. Some poor shot selection and excellent bowling from Pakistan did the trick for them 

With three overs remaining, India would be looking to get around 130-mark. We have seen Canada defend a smallish total against Ireland and thus far the wicket has played similarly and so has the pace of the game. However, the wicket will dry down in the second innings which might help Pakistan batters. Imad Wasim got a lot of turn on this surface and it is doubtful if Axar and Jadeja can extract the same amount of turn. Arshdeep who is hanging in nicely at the moment will have to strike early with the ball especially given bulk of runs from Pakistan scored are at the top of the order from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. As we update Haris Rauf picks Hardik Pandya. Massive wicket for Pakistan given the situation of the game. This will restrict India's total by 10-15 runs easily. 

Two wickets fell in quick succession for India. First, it was Pant who tried to hit the ball straight down the ground and was caught at mid-on and second, it was Jadeja who played with hard hands and timed it straight to cover fielder who was standing close in just for that shot which Amir induced with a slower ball. Now India is in a lot of trouble. Once again the pitch is not as bad as yesterday but the Indian batters have given their wickets away. Especially Pant who was set and has seen wickets falling from the other end could have taken more responsibility and taken this game deep. The good thing for India is they have Hardik Pandya who is accustomed to these situations on the downside Arshdeep, Siraj, and Bumrah three of them are proper tail-enders. 

Well, well it has been a see-saw battle this innings. When Pant and Surya were batting for a brief period after Axar fell it felt like India would post a big total. However, Surya fell Babar turned to Naseem and he delivered again this time by picking Dube. It was a slower one from Shah to which Dube checked his shot and ended up giving a return catch to Shah. Three overs and three wickets for Shah all came in different overs. He has been a flesh-in-the-thorn for Indian batting. Every time a partnership was building he came in and picked a wicket. One thing Pant has done well compared to other players is against pacers he played the ball late and let it come to him rather down dancing down the track or playing the ball on the front foot which in the early part created a few edges that flew away from slips but now things have settled down and the technique and adjustment are working well for him on this wicket. 

This partnership has moved into the 30s now and is starting to look ominous for Pakistan. Pant seems to have adjusted to the pace of the pitch and is playing his sweeps and reverse sweeps with comfort. Surya on the other hand is bidding his time at the moment. As we update Haris Rauf picked up Surya Kumar Yadav. The batter tried to hit over covers with an angled bat however, Amir at mid-of took a simple catch. Timely breakthrough for Pakistan. Just when things were looking like they were running away from them they have been chipping away with wickets from time to time. That wicket puts further responsibility on Pant to play till the end. Shivam Dube has walked into the middle interesting call from India given the dimensions of the boundary would it have been ideal to keep a right-hander there only time will answer. 

Pant is playing an excellent hand here. In the early part of his career, he had trouble pacing his innings, especially in white ball cricket however, since his return he has been brilliant. Today he attacked when he had to and defended when he had. Today this has been an excellent example of how to play with controlled aggression from the left-hander. Pakistan bowlers though would have seen the footage of Pant playing unorthodox shots this is the first time they would be facing the music against him onfield. It is hard to contain him as many teams in red-ball cricket have found out before and to double the problem for Pakistan Surya at the other end does the same thing. Imad Wasim was brought into the attack and he was getting a bit of a turn from certain areas of the pitch which is due to moisture in the pitch from rain. Once again Pakistan who has started this game well is now losing the advantage. They need to pick a couple of quick wickets after the drinks break to get back into the game.

Venkata Krishna B: Be it the 2019 World Cup or the Asia Cup or the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan’s new ball bowlers have tried to be equally aggressive against Rohit Sharma, when he has come out with the intention of attacking from the word go. And in each of those occasions, they have mostly delivered the line and length that Rohit had wished for. The luck though had eluded Pakistan. But not on Sunday. Just like the first over when Rohit casually flicked Afridi for a six, the left-arm pacer once again went fuller, but this time with no movement on offer, instead of going fully behind the square, picked the fielder at deep square leg.

Babar brings back Naseem Shah and he picks the wicket of Axar. It must be said Naseem has found ideal lengths for these conditions and his banging on it consistently and getting the better of the batters. A couple of dots put pressure on Axar he tried to charge down to Naseem and disturb his length however, the pitch was such that it wouldn't help high-risk shot-making and Axar's stumps were uprooted as a result. Surya Kumar Yadav has walked into the middle and this is the game right here for Pakistan and India. The pitch is not as bad as it was yesterday but it has enough and Surya is one of those players in world cricket who tends to get his runs quickly. He along with Pant play 20-30 balls together Pakistan will be way behind in this game. Also one more interesting dynamic will be to see how Babar Azam will use his spinners who have been out of form in recent times. 

Venkata Krishna B: With the first 10 overs being a crucial period on this pitch, as India lost two of their openers in the first three overs, India were not rigid with sticking to their left-right duo. Axar Patel, was promoted to No 4, ahead of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya who will be needed later on. In the past India haven’t been adventurous when it comes to using the southpaws, who tend to take the bowlers out of their comfort zone, especially in the T20s.

Though Pakistan has picked up two wickets they have been still sloppy in the first few overs. Yes, pitching up the new ball is the right thing to do however, this New York pitch has responded to the bowlers better when the hard lengths have been hit in the games here and that is what Naseem Shah too has shown in the second over. Anything that has been pitched up has been easier to play for India as there is no swing. The chances are coming because of the dampness the ball is stopping a bit and batters are getting beaten by the pace. Rishabh Pant had the same issue where he flicked the ball too early and got undone by that slowness the ball took the leading edge and Usman Khan tried to take a catch running backward however, he dropped it. Both Axar and Pant are throwing their bats at everything and this is where Pakistan needs to be extremely careful and not let India run away with the game this early. 

Rohit tried to flick the ball on the leg side as he did in the opening over against Shaheen Shah however, the ball seemed to stop a bit due to dampness and Rohit scopped the ball and Haris Rauf took a simple catch. The Pakistani bowlers got the better of batters in helpful conditons to them once again proving conditions are everything in cricket. Axar Patel has walked into the middle for India which is an interesting move from India. Axar might look to see off the new ball and protect the free-stroking players to follow. However, what that has done is with one side being longer than the other India lost the option of accessing both sides because of the two left-handers making it easy for Pakistani seamers to bowl on one side of the wicket. Pant on the other hand is looking to counterattack.

Surprisingly Naseem Shah took the second over instead of Amir. However, the gamble worked for Babar Azam as Naseem picked the priced scalp of Virat Kohli. It was a short wide ball from Naseem and Kohli played a nothing shot neither did he show aggression to take the ball over the in-field nor did he intend to play it on the ground and pierce the gap. That is what the pace of Naseem can do and breaks in games can do. That is a massive wicket for Pakistan. Rishabh Pant has walked into the middle. The wicket is playing better than what it had done yesterday. Despite all the rain it is holding up nicely. It will be interesting to see if Pakistan bowlers pull their length back if they can get a steep bounce. As we update Shaheen Shah Afridi has picked Rohit Sharma India two down.

We are back to resume the game. It might be a bit frustrating but the contest is a high-octane one makes it worth it. Let us hope we do not have any further delay going forward in the game.

Sriram Veera: It was an outrageous six from Rohit. Everything loaded against that thought to go across the line: the overcast skies with venomous potential of the ball swinging, the un-trustworthy bounce on New York pitch. Perhaps, he trusted that the ball from Shaheen Afridi would curl in a touch at least, and not go with the angle - else a top-edge was staring at his face. Almost instinctively, he went for the most gentle of swat-pick-ups that one can imagine. Classy, graceful, stylish, and most effective. It was almost as if he was waving his naughty daughter off. And the ball flew over square-leg amidst roaring Indians. Shaheen had this lovely smile that possibly stems from awareness of how good that shot was against him. Rohit has pulled, flicked, hoisted the ball up in a more traditional pick-up shot manner, but this delicately deft shot would possibly be one of his greatest swat-sixes of his career. Definitely, the most gorgeous.

The rain has stopped and the covers are coming off. It is frustrating for the batters when these stops start. From India's perspective they want the entire innings to finish in the coming stretch for Pakistan the merrier as it disrupts the concentration of batters.

It is raining heavily out there in New York. It is hard to see the game begin soon. The more it rains there will be moisture left out on the outfield and every time the ball trickles onto the square it will be hard for bowlers to grip especially for Pakistan seamers whenever they come back which will give India an advantage. 

We are done with the opening over the ball is moving a bit however, Afridi was bowling against the breeze which did not allow him to execute his inswinger perfectly once in the over he drifted a bit down the leg-side which Rohit flicked for a gigantic six. The surface is a bit damp at the moment. As we update the players are walking back again due to the drizzle. What a shame the stage was set for an excellent contest between top-class Pakistan bowlers in helpful conditions against Indian modern white ball maestros in Kohli and Rohit. However, not to be let's hope the shower passes quickly and we start immediately. 

The national anthems are done. There is a sea of blue in the ground. However, it will be challenging for India at least for the first 3-4 overs. Pakistan bowlers who did not bowl well in the opening game need to execute their plans to well to have a chance all in all it is going to be a cracking contest stay with us for all the live updates. 

Barring indifferent pitches, half-filled stadiums and sky-high ticket prices have also become a massive issue for the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is trying to carve a space for the sport in the United States. (Read more from Partyush Raj)

The match is set to start at 8:50 PM IST and we still will have full-game folks. Indian batters need to be worried and Pakistan bowlers will be licking their lips at the prospect of bowling to Indian openers in these conditions. 

We definitely can't prepare for weather like this but our preperations have been good so far. I won't think of avoiding any shot on this track, intent is very important in this format, don't think I have to avoid any shot. If team requires me to stay there, I'll look to do that. It's always been a great competition between the two teams so really looking forward to it.

Sad news folks it has started to rain in New York again. Players have gone indoors and we have to wait further for the start of play today. 

Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir

Would've bowled first too. We need to assess how conditions play and come up with an idea of what a good score is. Those games have helped us assess conditions here. We've spoken about what we need to do as a batting unit to get a good score and then we've got the bowling unit to defend. Every game is important in a World Cup, you can't just show up. Anything can happen. We're sticking to the same XI.

We will bowl first because of the weather and moisture in the pitch. The conditions suit us, we have four fast bowlers. We will try to use it to our best. Past is past, we are looking forward to today's match, we are ready and will give our 100%. Always a big game, our confidence is always high for India vs Pak. Azam Khan is resting.

Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bowl first against India. It will be a tricky first innings for India the ball will seam around for the first six overs definitely.

America celebrates grand sporting occasions. Celebs flock for the Super Bowl week; Hollywood descends on Miami when Lionel Messi turns up; Marlon Brando would wear a false beard and attend baseball games; Ernest Hemingway would sneak into the packed stands to watch his favourite star, Joe DiMaggio. Cricket’s biggest game yet in the US, between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, wouldn’t bring Hollywood or celebs to New York, or capture the country’s imagination. But this Sunday they could get the first glimpse of cricket’s most marketable rivalry with all its fervour and frenzy. (Read more from Sandip G)

The toss is set to happen at 8:00 PM IST and the game will begin at 8:30 PM IST. The team winning the toss might opt to bowl first given the conditions in the stadium.

The covers are coming off. The outfield is looking pretty damp and the sky is gloomy. Whenever the game starts expect a lot of seam moments for the new bowlers on either side. 

India arrive in New York ??? pic.twitter.com/UzluOn1LZ7

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 9, 2024

There is an inspection at 7:45 PM folks stay with us we might have good news soon.

The toss is delayed due to rain. The covers are on the pitch. It is not pouring it is just a slight drizzle so hopefully, the game will get underway soon. Meanwhile, keep reading the lovely articles about the blockbuster clash we will be plugging in before the game starts.

Pakistan arrive ahead of India clash in New York ? pic.twitter.com/9AW5gvSz1w

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 9, 2024

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar asked the Men in Green to play for the country rather than individual milestones when they take on arch-rivals India

“Guys, Pakistan team ke liye khelna. Tumhein khuda ka wasta hai. Apne liye nahi, mulk ke liye khelna hai. Play out of your skins and in the game, don’t play for personal milestones. Fans don’t remember personal milestones. They remember the six that Javed Miandad hit (on the last ball against Indian cricket team). They remember the wicket I took at Kolkata or the 2009 World Cup or the Champions Trophy. But if you win Pakistan a match, that’s what fans will remember over personal milestones. Today, play for each other. Play for Pakistan. Play for Pakistan’s morale. All of Pakistan is looking at you. You’ve burnt your bridges, not you have to swim out of this whole mess. We’re with you,” Akhtar said in a video he posted on his social media handle while he was on his way to the studio to record a pre-match show.

In the last match against Ireland, skipper Rohit Sharma carved yet another record in a storied career filled with them. By hitting three sixes in an innings of 52 runs, Rohit became the only batter to reach 600 sixes across all formats in international cricket. Behind him in the all-time list are Chris Gayle (553 maximums), Shahid Afridi (553), Brendon McCullum (478), and Martin Guptill (398).

The first match that India played in the tournament proper played like the first morning of a Test match, writes Sandip G which is a fair assessment given the pitches we are used to see in the IPL. Here, the crowd had to wait almost a whole day to see a shot that reminded them of the T20 style of playing when Rishabh Pant reverse-scoop Barry McCarthy to hand India an emphatic 8-wicket win over Ireland.

Former cricketers were also very critical about the state of the Nassau pitch in New York where the India Pakistan match is taking place. After a series of low scoring matches and the uneven bounce of the pitch which led to Indian skipper to retire hurt against Ireland, Irfan Pathan and Micheal Vaughan have criticized the pitch.

“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,” Pathan said.

“Trying to sell the game in the states is great .. love it .. but for players to have to play on this sub standard surface in New York is unacceptable .. You work so hard to make it to the WC then have to play on this,” former England player Vaughan tweeted.

The India Pakistan match tonight in more ways than one should be the match that kicks this edition of the tournament into second gear. With most of the matches in USA as well as West Indies playing out to half-empty stands, partly because of sky-high ticket prices and a general lack of interest, the blockbuster encounter between the two arch-rivals is expected to see a packed house. But two days before the match, the stadium still wasn’t sold out which is unfathomable for a clash between these two powerhouses.

In a T20 match featuring some of the most celebrated names in world cricket like Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, strangely, the talk has all been about the Nassau pitches. Unpredictable and even dangerous in some instances like when Rohit Sharma was rapped on the shoulders from an errant ball, the pitches in  the New York stadium have seen low scores in all the matches played which is hardly the glowing advertisement that the ICC would want for cricket to thrive in America.

After the recent defeat against USA in their opening match, Pakistan captain Babar Azam looked flustered, even admitting that the Men in Green had taken USA a little lightly. This hubris was the reason for Pakistan’s eventual; downfall in the Super Over.

“Whenever you come in any tournament, you do the best preparation always. You can say it’s a kind of mindset. When you come up against a team like this (associate nations), you relax a little, you take things a little lightly,” Babar said.