Pace or spin-friendly: New York pitch report ahead of IND-IRE T20 WC match

The Indian cricket team will open its campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island, New York on June 5 (Wednesday). India vs Ireland match will start at 8 PM, according to Indian Standard Time (IST). 

However, the two matches at the ground, one the warm-up match between India and Bangladesh and the other between South Africa and Sri Lanka, produced different pitches at the venue. Therefore, it is important to figure out what kind of a wicket it will be for the India vs Ireland match.

Check ICC T20 World Cup 2024 full schedule, match timings (IST) here

Will it be a pace-friendly wicket?
 

The match between South Africa and Sri Lanka saw even medium pacers like Dasun Shanaka and Angelo Mathews trouble quality batters like Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock and Tristan Stubbs on a regular basis. On the other hand, pacers like Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada as well as round-arm slingers like Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana were difficult to get away as well.

Thus, to discard it as a pace-friendly wicket would be a cynical mistake. But does that mean that it would not support the spinners?

Check ICC T20 World Cup 2024 points table here

Could the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium support spinners?
 

If pacers got good help in terms of bounce and swing, spinners like Keshav Maharaj and later on even Wanindu Hasaranga got help from the two-paced wicket in the SL vs SA match. However, during the IND vs BAN warm-up game, Bangladeshi spinners were taken to the cleaners. Indian spinners did not get too much of a turn and bounce either. So for spinners, it all depends upon the kind of skills the bowler possesses.

Nassau County weather for the IND vs IRE match
 

The weather for the India vs Ireland game at Nassau County is going to remain cloudy, and the temperatures will be in the lower 20s in the period of 8 PM IST (10:30 a.m. local time) to 11:30 PM IST (1:00 a.m. local time). Therefore, the weather will be suitable for swing bowling early on.

What will be India's playing 11 combination?
 

For the warm-up game, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli were not available, and hence Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant were given a chance. Pant grabbed it with both hands, and hence he is a sure starter. Jaiswal and Kohli will get a game as well, and so will Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. This makes the top five batters for the team. It will now come down to the all-rounders. Since it is more of a pace-friendly wicket, India could do well to play Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube both.

Check ICC T20 World Cup latest news updates here

The four bowlers could then be Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Ravindra Jadeja would therefore not be needed.

However, if they do play Jadeja, then Dube will have to make way for him as India would not risk not having either Siraj or Bumrah in the playing 11. Thus, three spinners with Bumrah, Siraj, Pandya and Dube will make it a great combination.

India Playing 11 probables vs Ireland in T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli/Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja/Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.