As the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan is set to take place in New York, the pitch at the Nassau County International Stadium has brought a lot of attention to it among pundits and players because of its unpredictable nature. However, skipper Rohit Sharma might bring up a strategy that will help eliminate the conditions in one of the fiercest rivalries of world cricket.
📸 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴!👌 👌#TeamIndia gearing up for the #INDvPAK clash in New York 👍 👍#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/V9Q3qjsFEa
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Rohit Sharma And Co. To Adopt The ‘Gabba Method’
Indian batters such as Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill exhibited a controlled yet aggressive approach during their final Test at Gabba against Australia on January 19, 2021, securing a historic victory in one of their toughest matches. In that game, Indian batsmen had to contend with an unpredictable pitch and unusual bouncers. Rohit Sharma wants India to display a similar attitude against Pakistan’s formidable pace attack on Sunday, which is anticipated to be a thrilling encounter. Although India carries confidence from their win against Ireland, they remain wary of the threat posed by Pakistani bowlers like Shaheen Afridi, Mohammed Amir, and Naseem Shah.
During the pre-match press conference, Rohit discussed India’s mindset ahead of the Pakistan game and provided some insight into their planned approach.
“We saw many examples when you play in places like South Africa, Australia, and you have to cross those hurdles. The reason we won that Gabba Test match was because of our mental toughness. The last day when we were batting on that pitch in Gabba, we saw the invariable bounce there, and a lot of the batters got hit on their chest and fingers – and these are the hurdles that you have to cross when you want to have success in international cricket. It is not going to be easy every time. And these are the moments that you want to put in, try yourself, and test yourself,” Rohit said.
“So, I’m sure all the players who are going to play, want to be in difficult conditions, difficult situation they thrive on this kind of moments – it’s the World Cup, so nothing can get bigger than this. You’re playing for your nation in the World Cup. I think the blows that you get or you take on your arm, your finger or on your head, I think that can be secondary. You need to put the team’s cause first, whether it is staying out there and battling it out and getting the job done for the team,” Rohit added.
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