Rohit Sharma has said India “want to be flexible” with their batting in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
India began their T20 World Cup with a win against Ireland earlier this week. Rishabh Pant, making an international comeback after a harrowing car accident, scored an unbeaten 26-ball 36 after being promoted to No.3. That was Pant’s seventh innings at one down in a career where he majorly batted at No.4 and 5.
Speaking at the press conference on the eve of the big-ticket clash between India and Pakistan, Rohit revealed the reason behind Pant's promotion. He further stated that barring the openers "none of the other batting positions is fixed" in India's line-up.
"I watched Pant play the first few matches in the IPL and made up my mind. It was about having the right batting position. His counter-attacking skill will be helpful, given we cannot play Yashasvi. He has got an all-round game. Besides the openers, none of the other batting positions is fixed, unless it is a Super Over. We want to be flexible," Rohit said.
Rohit also looked fluent with the bat in India's tournament opener before being forced to retire hurt for a 37-ball 52 following a blow to his upper arm off a delivery that rose awkwardly. The newly-built Nassau County drop-in pitch was under the scanner for its two-paced nature, with the slow outfield also a cause for concern. The ICC later released a statement acknowledging the growing concerns.
The India captain ruled out any added advantage due to familiarity with the difficult New York wicket: "New York is not our house. We have only spent four to six days here. It rained for three days, and we did not practice. We don’t know what pitch we will get, and we don’t know how it will play.
"The curator was confused about how the track will play; how much grass to remove or leave on. If the pitch curator is confused, then imagine how confused we players are."
He added: "The pitch might be a minefield, but that is no reason for batters to give up without a fight. It is tough, but that is where experience counts. The reason they are representing the country is because they are mentally tough. You want to thrive in difficult conditions. This is the World Cup — nothing can get bigger than this. You are playing for your nation. These blows to the body are secondary. You need to put the team’s cause first."
On the other hand, Pakistan will enter the match under immense pressure after their Super Over defeat against the USA jeopardised their Super Eights chances.
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