'It is not unplayable kind of condition where you cannot bat' - Harbhajan Singh defends Nassau Stadium pitch amidst criticism
The highly anticipated India and Pakistan encounter will be held at the same venue that can accommodate almost 30,000 of the crowd.
The newly built Nassau County Stadium in New York has been garnering immense criticism for its subpar conditions. Certain pundits even called for an inspection from the ICC (International Cricket Council) to meet the standards. Coming to the matches played at the venue, the games have been low-scoring affairs with batters struggling to get going. Commentators have termed the deck as spongy and uneven bounce has become the norm.
The highly anticipated India (IND) and Pakistan (PAK) encounter will be held at the same venue that can accommodate almost 30,000 of the crowd. Ahead of the Indo-Pak clash, the former Indian spinner, Harbhajan Singh, has termed the pitch as ‘playable’. Further adding, he showed confidence in the Indian batting lineup who played their practice game and inaugural game at the same venue and looked at ease compared to other teams.
“It is not a flat wicket. There are challenges for the batters on this pitch, but it is playable. It is not unplayable kind of condition where you cannot bat. India, so far, in this tournament looked the best. They batted the best, they adopted the condition better than the others, and they scored 180 against Bangladesh. Even that 100 odd they chased down in like 9 overs or 10 overs on the other day,” said Harbhajan during a special ‘Star Sports Press Room’ organised in New York.
“I think it’s the mindset. If you face the first ball and the next ball you are worrying about, when the bowler hasn’t even bowled. So, it has a lot to do with the mindset as well. Of course, the condition whatever it is, it's not going to change. Whatever are the conditions, you have to adapt accordingly. You have to manage whether you want to stay inside or outside. The pitch is like that only,” he added.
The one who adopts the conditions better will win: Harbhajan
Contrary to the T20 World Cup 2024 pitches, the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) saw batters reigning supreme on batting-friendly strips. Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 287, the highest total of IPL 2024, and Punjab Kings chased 272, the highest-ever chase in the league’s history. Harbhajan Singh highlighted the same aspect and weighed in on the different conditions in the USA and how players should adapt.
“The one who adopts the conditions better will win. And the rest will be like the Hyderabad pitch, 200, 250, 300. I don't think there should be any bowlers over there and the work was going on like a bowling machine. The ball was coming and going. As long as there is a battle between the bat and the ball, cricket will be an interesting game. Otherwise, if the bat dominates, then gradually, as we saw, it will go up and down,” the Turbanator continued.
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“Because people have to see the context. When two wrestlers are fighting, if one wrestler comes and drops the other, then who will go to see him winning again and again? When someone comes and hits the big wrestler, then people get interested. So, the battle between the bat and the ball has to be played on a good pitch, where the bowler is also in the game. That would be the right pitch,” Harbhajan concluded.
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