Rohit Sharma reveals plan for beating Pakistan on New York pitch

Indian captain Rohit Sharma outlined the strategy India must adopt to overcome Pakistan on a challenging New York pitch this Sunday.

Following an eight-wicket victory over Ireland on a difficult New York surface, Sharma emphasized the importance of preparing for tough batting conditions for the clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

"I don't know what to expect from the pitch to be honest, but we will prepare as if the conditions are going to be like this," Rohit said after India dismissed Ireland for 96 in New York on Wednesday.

"I don't think we can play four spinners here," Rohit said with a laugh. "When we picked the team, we wanted to have that balance. If conditions are there for the seamers, we wanted to have that. As we head into the later part of the tournament, spin will play a part later on.

"Looking at the pitch and conditions, we are open to make changes and do what is required at that point, but today was a four-seamer pitch and we still managed to get two spinners, who are allrounders. It gives us balance heading into the game. It [Pakistan game] is going to be a kind of game where all eleven of us need to contribute."

Jasprit Bumrah, named Player of the Match for his impressive 2 for 6 in three overs, expressed joy at participating in his first T20 World Cup match since 2021.

Having missed the 2022 tournament due to a back injury, he appreciated the New York conditions.

"Coming from India, when you see the ball seaming and doing quite a bit, with good bounce and pace, you'd never complain when there's help for the bowlers," Bumrah said. "You have to be proactive in this format, you can't pre-empt things. You have to adapt to conditions. We played a practice game here [against Bangladesh], realised how the wicket is. We realised the new ball will do a lot, so I was just trying to stick to what is working for you.

"[As a bowler] you want to cover all bases. Once the seam [movement] goes down, the wicket settles down. Yes, there was uneven bounce but you have to be prepared to bowl in all condition and I'm very happy with the outing."