From Down Under to Big Apple: Drop-in pitches for India-Pakistan showdown in NYC to fly from Adelaide

Cricket’s biggest rivalry gets a new twist in the 2024 T20 World Cup with the news that the high-voltage India-Pakistan encounter will be played on a drop-in pitch at the specially constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. This unique twist adds another layer of intrigue to a match already sizzling with historical baggage and passionate fanbases.

Drop-in pitches, pre-prepared elsewhere and then “dropped” into the stadium, are still relatively new in international cricket. Their use in the marquee tournament, particularly for the India-Pakistan clash, raises several questions. Firstly, how will the unfamiliar surface play? Experts suggest drop-in pitches tend to be batsman-friendly initially, offering bounce and pace. Secondly, the decision to use a drop-in pitch in New York throws open the potential for tactical chess. Both teams will have limited practice time on the surface before the match, adding an element of surprise and adaptability

Finally, the use of a drop-in pitch in this high-profile match could be a test case for future World Cups, particularly in non-traditional cricket nations. If successful, it could pave the way for more international cricket in the USA and other countries where resources to maintain pitches year-round may be limited.

Adelaide groundsman tasked with the giant task

Enter Daniel Hough, the man tasked with breathing life into these portable playing surfaces. A veteran curator at Adelaide Oval, Hough’s expertise has been sought after to create the pitch. The process, as Hough describes it, is a testament to meticulous planning and innovation. Six of the ten trays are being assembled in Adelaide itself, within specially designed trays made from recycled materials. These trays, weighing a hefty 30 tonnes each, are meticulously crafted with layers of sand, soil, and turf, mimicking the playing conditions of Adelaide Oval.

“It’s a bit tricky,” Hough admitted in a recent interview with ESPN Cricinfo. “We basically built six of the 10 trays here in Adelaide. We made them modular, so they can be easily transported and assembled wherever needed.”

But New York’s climate poses a different challenge compared to Adelaide’s warm summers. To ensure the pitches adapt seamlessly, Hough and his team are working closely with specialists in Florida. “We put them in a shipping container and send them really wherever we want around the world. But they’ve gone over to Florida. And I’ve just come back from a month of work over there putting the trays together, putting the soil in, compacting them and putting the grass on. So we’re in the grow-in phase. Then there’s a couple more strategic trips throughout the next six months to do some work on them and then transport them from Florida all the way up to New York where we’ll put them in and prepare them,” he added.