In a pre-match press conference, Rohit emphasized the importance of a collective team effort. “I don’t want to rely on one or two individuals to win us the game. I think all 11 of us need to contribute. Of course, there are key players who are going to play key roles for us, but I think everyone needs to chip in however they can, in their best possible way,” he stated.
Rohit highlighted Virat Kohli’s invaluable experience for the upcoming showdown. “(Virat) didn’t play the Bangladesh warm-up game, but he’s had enough training under his belt before this game…the kind of experience that he has, playing all over the world, playing in big tournaments, nothing can beat that,” he noted.
Addressing the unpredictable nature of the pitches in New York, Rohit remarked that the team playing better cricket will prevail, as the wicket “behaves differently on different days.” He acknowledged the challenges of adapting to an unfamiliar ground, saying, “New York is not our home ground. We have played two matches here but don’t have much awareness about its nature. It behaves differently on different days, so even the curator is confused. So, you can imagine the kind of thinking we need to put in. We don’t know on which pitch we are playing (against Pakistan), so whoever plays better cricket will win the match.”
Following India’s match against Ireland, the ICC issued a statement recognizing the inconsistency of the pitches at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium and promised to “deliver the best possible surfaces for the remaining matches.”
