Team India head coach Rahul Dravid shared his thoughts on the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Rahul Dravid mentioned that the pitch was soft and spongy after the victory against Bangladesh in the warm-up match on Saturday, June 1.
The Men in Blue recorded a 60-run victory over Bangladesh in their only warm-up match ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Led by Rohit Sharma, the team opted to bat first and set a target of 183 runs. The Indian bowlers then restricted the opposition to 122 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
The Rohit Sharma-led team will play its first match of the T20 World Cup 2024 against Ireland at this ground on Wednesday, June 5. The Men in Blue will play Pakistan and the United States in New York on June 9 and 12, respectively. They will play their last game against Canada in Florida on Saturday, June 15.
Looks like a good setup – Rahul Dravid
In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, Rahul Dravid mentioned that the ground was a bit soft, which could affect the players’ hamstrings and calves. He highlighted the need to prioritize the well-being of the players given the ground conditions.
“It’s great to get a good result. Obviously it looks like a good facility in terms of how quickly they’ve gotten up. The ground is a little soft and the guys could feel that in their hamstrings and calves. So that’s “The area we need to make sure we’re working on and that the kids are taking care of feels a little heavy in the background,” Dravid said.
Rishabh Pant scored a half-century to solidify his position as the first-choice keeper-batsman. The left-handed batsman scored 53 runs off 32 balls before retiring. Hardik Pandya showcased his batting skills after a challenging IPL 2024 season, scoring 40 off 23 balls, including two fours and four sixes.
A little brave sometimes – Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid mentioned that the pitch was a little spongy at times. Dravid praised the batsmen for scoring above average and the bowlers for their excellent performance. The head coach expected the team to prepare well over the next few days to be ready for the upcoming matches.
“A little brave at times, but I thought we did very well, we got it done very well. The batsmen had scored above average on that wicket and the bowlers came out and bowled very well. Overall, we managed to run. play here “It’s really nice. Hopefully we can prepare well for the next few days and be ready.” Dravid added.
The stadium, with a capacity of 34,000 seats, was built in 103 days. The venue was inaugurated on May 15 by Olympic legend Usain Bolt. The stadium is scheduled to host eight matches, including three in which India will participate. After the completion of the stadium, walk-in pitches were brought in from Australia.
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