India, Sept. 12 -- There was a definite subcontinental feel to the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, a makeshift venue designed to showcase the best of T20 cricket to New York and to the United States. The occasion was the T20 World Cup, the date 9 June 2024, the protagonists India and Pakistan.

Almost every seat of the 34,000 was occupied, the beat of drums and the waving of flags-the tricolour dominating the landscape-making it hard to believe that one was in Long Island. The surface made for an attritional contest, with India edging a low-scoring thriller by six runs; as an advertisement for the 20-over format, it was hardly edifying, but hey, who was complaining at the time?

Some eight and a half months later, the sides s...