Unpredictable Pitch Awaits India and Ireland in Nassau County T20 Clash


When the Indian team steps onto the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in Long Island on Thursday morning, they will be greeted by hoardings proclaiming the World T20 League alongside the stadium's signboards. The Indian team might well interpret these as ominous signs from beneath the banners: "Caution: Danger Ahead."

Following the pitch fracas of Tuesday's match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, unpredictability has swiftly become the defining element of the World T20 League matches in the New York leg. For the Indian side, this would be a journey into the unknown, more like a game of Russian Roulette than a conventional cricket contest. South Africa will vouch for this.

On paper, Ireland is not an opposition that should give sleepless nights to India, but the uncertainty of the pitch conditions adds a new dimension to the contest. This unpredictability nullifies the experience and strengths of the Indian side. Despite their recent victory over Pakistan and triumph over eventual champions England in the last World T20 League, Paul Stirling's team may find the Indians to be an inexhaustible force, against whom they have never won in their seven face-offs. However, this is unlikely to be a straightforward contest unless the drop-in pitch, prepared in Florida with expertise imported from South Australia, plays true. Ireland, though, would hope it won't.

India's worry is the unpredictability of the surface, while unfamiliarity is the concern for the Irish side. With practice facilities arranged elsewhere in Long Island, the Irish are yet to officially make an entry into the Nassau County Stadium. "We haven't actually seen the ground and it doesn't look like we're going to before the game," skipper Paul Stirling told Cricket Europe.

Rahul Dravid chose not to disclose the much-debated opening combination of the side, but it is most likely to be Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with left-right batsmen following as the situation demands. India may have initially planned to go in with two left-arm spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, along with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. However, after the experience of Tuesday's game, they may opt for an extra pacer instead of an additional spinner. This would bring both Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh into the lineup, with Axar Patel possibly having to wait for his turn. As is often the case with the Indian team setup, something Dravid himself would say, one spot remains up for debate - and it's a potential toss-up between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dube. It is more likely to be Dube, as he adds depth to the bowling attack.

Ireland is known for playing fearless cricket, but the Indians are accustomed to such approaches, having just come off a highly competitive and adventurous two-month-long Ind T20 League. The contest may not see 200-plus totals like in the Ind T20 League matches; a score of 170-180 could be a winning total, unless the pitch has ideas of its own.