NEW DELHI: Heinrich Malan, the head coach of Ireland, believes his team has the ability to identify and capitalise on India's weaknesses during their T20 World Cup opener in New York on Wednesday.
The Irish coach is optimistic about his team's chances against the formidable Indian side. He trusts that his players have the skills and strategies necessary to expose any vulnerabilities in their opponent's game plan. With thorough preparation and analysis, Ireland aim to gain an advantage over India.
"India is an experienced side, which means there's a lot of data and a lot of information out there. Hopefully, we can look to find a couple of areas we can try and exploit," Malan told reporters during a pre-match press conference.
Malan expressed his desire for fortune to favour his team at the venue that hosted a surprisingly low-scoring match between Sri Lanka and South Africa. He acknowledged that the outcome of that game might compel them to reassess their strategies.
"It has shown in the past that the luck of the Irish has always been with us. Playing in a country which we don't know a lot about, and it is what it is, we don't really focus too much on that," he said.
"After yesterday's game, there might be a little bit of a change in plan. We haven't seen the wicket, we haven't been out there," he said.
Malan expressed that the team does not wish to dwell on certain aspects, such as being accommodated in a hotel situated quite far from the playing ground.
Additionally, he mentioned that the inability to visit the stadium prior to the match is another factor they prefer not to concentrate on, despite Sri Lanka's grievances regarding these matters.
"It's a challenge. But again, the one thing that we've constantly been trying to focus on is being adaptable, being versatile. We're not here to have a holiday; we're here to play cricket," he said.
"At the end of the day, it's not controllable. Whether we can train there or not, there's no training facilities there.
"For us, we don't need to spend mental energy on that (and) rather spend our mental energy on having clear plans, doing our preparation work and making sure that everyone is aware of how that can impact the game," Malan added.
(With PTI inputs)
