India and Pakistan are set to renew their rivalry with both the teams square off in a T20 World Cup Group A match at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York on Sunday. The Rohit Sharma-led side is coming into this match after beating Ireland by 8 wickets. Meanwhile, the Babar Azam-led Pakistan conceded a disappointing loss against the US in the super-over in their previous game of the marquee event. India hold an edge over Pakistan due to their recent form, but know their wounded arch-rivals cannot be taken for granted.
However, as per the current forecast, there is high possibility of rain in New York on Sunday. Accuweather’s forecast predicts that there is 51 per cent chance of rain at 11 AM local time (8:30 PM IST), which is half an hour after the start of the match.
Since it’s a day game, extra time is likely to be alotted if the rain causes a delay or interruption. However, it is highly unlikely that the players will wait till afternoon for the match to start.
While the current weather forecast does suggest that rain might interrupt the proceedings, there’s a huge possibility that the fans could witness a full 20-overs-a-side match.
Ahead of the highly anticipated blockbuster clash against arch-rival Pakistan, India captain Rohit Sharma sustained a blow to his left thumb while batting in the net session however the skipper resumed practice after receiving medical assistance from the side’s medical team.
During a net session, the 37-year-old captain was smacked on the thumb, prompting rapid care from the team’s medical staff. After the ball hit Rohit on the thumb he took off the glove to access the blow and the staff medical team rushed to the ground, checking the India captain. Following the check-up the Indian captain resumed his practice in the nets with full swing.
The pitch of the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, where India played their first match of the campaign against Ireland, has been in the news for its uneven and slow outfield.
Notably on the same pitch, India started their campaign on a high note, registering an 8-wicket win against Ireland. In the match, the skipper scored 52 runs from 37 runs at a strike rate of 140.54, however, his knock was cut short after he suffered an injury and had to leave the crease after the end of the 10th over.
After much talk on the pitch, the International Cricket Council on Thursday issued a statement recognising that the pitches used at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup have not been as consistent as expected and the groundsmen were working hard to find a solution and deliver the “best possible surfaces” for the remaining games.
(With ANI Inputs)
