Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey

When: 9^th June, 2024 (9:30 AM local time)
Where: Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York

Venue notes

• Slow outfield – power-hitters who can clear the fence will be useful.
• Two-paced pitch and uneven bounce on offer (though the average bounce is higher than sub-continent wickets).
• Substantial seam/swing movement for new-ball pacers.
• Not much turn for spinners.

Scores in the four matches played at the venue so far:

The pitch and conditions in New York have levelled the playing field, allowing even less formidable teams to compete fiercely and challenge stronger opponents.

Canada vs. Ireland was the first match when a team scored 100 runs in New York, and it came immediately after ICC’s statement which they released on Thursday, noting that “the pitches used so far at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium have not played as consistently as we would have all wanted.”

While a better pitch will be expected, if the deck continues to play as it has so far, batting will remain a lottery, with no reliable method or technique for success in those conditions. It makes sense to keep trying your shots, as playing defensively or cautiously isn’t helping anyway.

IND vs PAK Head-to-Head records plus recent form

Head-to-head: IND 8 – 3 PAK
Head-to-head in T20 WC: IND 7 – 1 PAK

PAK recent form: L L L W W (two wins against Ireland)

IND vs PAK Preview: Possible Playing XIs & questions for both teams

India’s predicted XI:

1. Rohit Sharma (c)
2. Virat Kohli
3. Rishabh Pant (wk)
4. Suryakumar Yadav
5. Shivam Dube
6. Hardik Pandya
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Axar Patel/Kuldeep Yadav
9. Arshdeep Singh
10.  Jasprit Bumrah
11.  Mohammed Siraj

Kuldeep’s exclusion raised a few eyebrows, and rightly so. He is one of the team’s superstars, capable of thriving in all conditions and against all opponents.

This seems to be the only plausible reason behind Kuldeep’s exclusion. Considering the pitch, India likely wanted extra batting cover, and with the opposition being right-hand heavy, it made it easier for India to field two left-arm spinners, Jadeja and Axar.

Given that India are again playing at the same venue, and this time against a far superior bowling attack, and considering Pakistan also boasts a right-hand heavy batting unit – with Fakhar Zaman being the sole lefty in the top 6 – Axar might continue to keep Kuldeep out of the XI.

Shivam Dube: Concerns Ahead of Pakistan Clash

Shivam Dube’s scores to conclude the IPL were 0(1), 0(1), 21(13), 18(11), 7(15).

He struggled against off-spin angled into his body in the warm-up match and couldn’t put away the left-arm spinner either. He seems to have lost form at the worst possible time.

Form aside, even from a skill perspective, on a wicket that favours pacers, Dube’s struggles are likely to continue against Pakistan, who possess a high-quality pace quartet. His matchup, particularly against Rauf, a high-pace middle-overs enforcer, will be one to watch.

Virat Kohli: India’s Anchor and Maestro Against Pakistan

It will be intriguing to observe if Virat Kohli, who has shifted to opening the innings and revamped his batting approach in the IPL (Powerplay SR: 162), will maintain the same aggressive style on a challenging pitch with ample support for pacers, especially following his early dismissal against Ireland. Perhaps, we can anticipate a bit more caution against the new-ball at least.

Especially against Pakistan, Kohli is the one who has always stepped up for India. Here is his record vs Pakistan in T20Is:

Pakistan’s predicted XI:

1. Babar Azam (c)
2. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
3. Usman Khan
4. Fakhar Zaman
5. Shadab Khan
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Imad Wasim
8. Shaheen Afridi
9. Haris Rauf
10.  Naseem Shah
11.  Mohammad Amir

With Imad Wasim expected to regain fitness, he is likely to replace Azam Khan, who averages 11.57 in 9 T20Is in 2024, especially after Shadab Khan’s 40 (25) batting at No. 5 in the last match.

Babar Azam’s T20 Intent: Unveiling the Strategic Shift

Babar Azam’s 44 (43) had particularly raised eyebrows in the last match. At the end of the Powerplay, his score was 4*(14), marking the lowest score for an opener at the end of the Powerplay in T20 World Cup history. He then found himself on 10*(24), before he finally hit his first boundary on the last ball of the 10^th over.

The bowling against him was undoubtedly on point, but he definitely could’ve taken more risks and batted with greater intent on what was a decent enough batting pitch.

However, Pakistan would be hoping that it was just an off-day for Babar. He has shown greater intent in his T20 batting since 2023.

IND vs PAK Preview: Key matchups

• Rohit vs. Amir, Shaheen (new-ball)

Mohammad Amir has dismissed Rohit Sharma twice in seven balls in T20Is, while Shaheen Afridi has dismissed him once in six balls.

• Kohli vs. Pakistan’s pacers

Virat Kohli has scored 123 T20I runs off 98 balls (SR: 125.5) against Pakistan’s pacers and has been dismissed only once.

• Hardik vs. Pakistan’s spinners

Hardik Pandya has scored 89* ODI runs off 51 balls (SR: 174.5) against Pakistan’s spinners. In T20Is, he has only faced Shadab Khan and scored 9* runs off 11 balls against him.

• Hardik vs. Rauf

While there aren’t head-to-head numbers to discuss, Hardik Pandya has shown vulnerability against high-pace hard-length deliveries, a weakness that Haris Rauf could exploit during the middle or death overs.

• Naseem vs. India’s batters

While there aren’t head-to-head numbers to discuss, Naseem Shah arguably stands out as Pakistan’s best all-phase bowler. On a track offering assistance for seamers, he has the potential to dismantle India’s batting lineup, especially if Pakistan can dismiss Kohli early in the game.

• Babar vs. Bumrah, Siraj

While there aren’t head-to-head numbers to discuss, Babar Azam has displayed vulnerability against the nip-backer. Even in the last match, Jasdeep Singh caught him in front of the stumps with the nip-backer. Jasprit Bumrah’s angle and Mohammed Siraj’s three-quarter seam could pose challenges for the Pakistani skipper.