Dublin: Ireland pacer Craig Young believes that his bowlers have to be accurate with their bowling plans against India, saying that if one of them misses the spot, then the visitors’ batters can blast the balls over their head.
On Sunday, in the first T20I, reduced to 12-overs-per-side due to rain, India chased down 109 with 16 balls to spare. In the loss, Young was the pick of the bowlers for Ireland, claiming 2/18 in two overs.
“There was enough in Sunday’s performance to take forward. It might have been nice to bowl first on that pitch, but in a 12-over game, the pitch isn’t going to change much. We know the Malahide wicket always has a little in it for the bowlers — you just have to put it in the right areas.”
“You’ve got to get the line and length right with these guys, you’ve got that small margin of error — if you miss the spot then they (Indian batters) will blast it over your head. To be honest, I think we did get the line right most of the time, but we bowled a bit full at times, which let us down,” said Young ahead of the second T20I on Tuesday.
Asked about his bowling plan on Sunday, Young remarked, “Bowling out there, you need to put the ball in the right area and (in that first over), I just missed my line with the first few balls, but then bang-bang I got the line right and had two wickets. But it’s never that simple with these guys, you pitch it up to them and they just belt it over your head. If you miss your line, only a little bit, they will punish you.”
Young was disappointed with the loss on Sunday, but was happy for debutant pacer Conor Olphert and batter Harry Tector enthralling the crowd with an unbeaten 33-ball 64. “It was obviously disappointing to lose, but you have to put it in perspective with who you’re playing. We put up a fight there, and I think there’s a lot we can take from the game on Sunday going into Tuesday.”
“Conor Olphert played his first game there, and he knows that it doesn’t get much harder than that — he did well, as did Lorcan Tucker with his knock, but Harry’s (Tector) innings was class. He’s right up there with some of the best I’ve played with.”
Young signed off by expressing happiness over playing in front of a sell-out crowd and playing against a strong team like India. “I’ve never played in front of a crowd like that, there was a real buzz and it was fun. But the most important thing was that we stood up against one of the world’s best sides and went toe-to-toe with them for 80-85% of the game — but, again, you’ve got to be on 100% of the time playing a side like that, we just need to find that extra bit on Tuesday.”
–IANS