Rahul Dravid reflects on Nassau County Cricket Stadium's pitch

After India’s comfortable win over Bangladesh in the warmup game on June 1, head coach Rahul Dravid shared his thoughts on the newly built Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. Alongside players Shivam Dube and Arshdeep Singh, Dravid discussed the challenges encountered while playing on this ‘modular marvel’ that has garnered much attention. 

The former India batter also noted that the pitch was a bit soft and spongy, and praised the Indian team for their all-round performance. In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, Rahul Dravid mentioned that the soft pitch could pose a risk to players’ hamstrings and calves. He added that the coaching staff was actively addressing this concern. 

“It’s great to get a good it-out. Obviously, it looks like a good facility in terms of as quickly as they have put up. The ground is a bit soft the guys could feel that on the hamstring and the calves. So that’s the area we need to ensure that we are working around and ensuring that the guys are looking after does feel a little bit heavy underneath,” Dravid said.

It is also to be kept in mind that the venue was impressively constructed in just 103 days, with construction beginning after February 18, 2024, and the inauguration by Olympic legend Usain Bolt on May 15. Following the stadium’s completion, drop-in pitches were imported from Australia. 

It was fun playing here: Shivam Dube 

The Indian all rounder mentioned that it was enjoyable to play at the new venue and it was good to secure a win in their first warm-up game. He acknowledged that the stadium was well-built but posed a challenge for the players. Dube emphasized the importance of the warm-up match in preparing for the T20 World Cup, stating that it was crucial to get accustomed to batting, bowling, and fielding.  

“It was fun playing here, and it was good to have a win in our first warm up game. Obviously, it’s well-built. But there is a challenge for the players. It’s not easy. The warm-up match is important for us to be ready once th T20 World Cup. So it was important to get used to in the batting, bowling and fielding and hence, we got a good idea after playing today and it was a different experience,” Dube said.