Out-of-Form Pakistan Faces Rivals India in Must-Win T20 World Cup Match in New York**
**India vs Pakistan**
**ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Group A Match**
**Sunday, June 9, 10:30am local time (14:30 GMT)**
**Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, United States**
**Follow Al Jazeera’s live text and photo coverage**
Gary Kirsten had his first taste of the agony associated with being a Pakistan cricket supporter when the new head coach of the men’s side saw the team crumble to a super-over loss against the USA in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan’s defeat against the tournament debutants and co-hosts was one of the biggest shocks in cricket history, but Kirsten believes his players have "moved forward" and are now focused on the challenge ahead. The challenge, incidentally, cannot get any bigger than a must-win World Cup match against historic rivals India.
“There’s no need for me to motivate the team for this game,” Kirsten told reporters on Saturday.
The South African, who led India to their second ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, acknowledged that the atmosphere could be "a little bit different" because the game is not being played in India or Pakistan, but he expects plenty of support for both teams at the New York venue.
Kirsten admitted that the pitch will be difficult to bat on, giving bowlers from both sides an advantage. “The batters are going to have to play with courage, assess the conditions, determine what a good score could be on this wicket [if we bat first], and then make sure we get a competitive total.”
India’s captain Rohit Sharma agreed with Kirsten’s assessment and said his team will have to assess the wicket “very quickly” and adjust accordingly. Rohit’s side has the advantage of having played two games on the pitch, one of which was their tournament opener against Ireland. India completed the tricky chase thanks to Rohit’s half-century, but the captain had to retire hurt after being hit on the arm.
The experienced batter said he will play his innings in “a very balanced way.” “I don’t want to be too aggressive or too cautious, but someone has to put pressure on the bowlers to try and do something different. Otherwise, it’s a very easy game [for the bowlers].”
**Pitch and Weather Conditions**
The condition of the pitches at the Nassau County Stadium has steadily improved over the past four games, but it still has an element of unpredictability. However, it is expected to favor seam bowlers, and both sides have plenty of those in their lineups.
Following criticism from fans and ex-players, the International Cricket Council (ICC) admitted the pitches were not up to standard and that ground staff were working on remedying them. The India-Pakistan match is expected to be played on a new surface. Weather could have a say in the match as there is a forecast for rain in the morning.
**Form Guide**
Both teams enter the match with contrasting forms. India has won two of their last three T20I series at home and away and managed to beat Ireland in their opening game. Pakistan couldn’t have had a worse start to their campaign, which also comes on the back of a 2-0 series loss against England and a 2-1 scrape past Ireland.
India: W W W W W
Pakistan: L L L W W
**India Team News**
India is unlikely to tinker with the XI that got them past Ireland in the opening game, but there could be a case for bringing in Kuldeep Yadav in place of Axar Patel, given the former’s success against Pakistan’s captain.
**Squad:** Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
**Pakistan Team News**
Pakistan’s coach Kirsten evaded questions about his side’s playing XI and also stopped short of confirming Wasim’s inclusion in the side despite the all-rounder being declared fit. Azam Khan’s poor run of form could see him drop out in favor of young opener Saim Ayub, while the vastly experienced Wasim could slot in for Iftikhar Ahmed.
**Squad:** Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed
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