“There’s some real disappointment at the end of that game,” Malan said, reflecting on the recent loss. “For a large part, we were playing exactly the sort of way we wanted to play from a planning, preparation point of view. Obviously, a little bit of the execution throughout that critical period has let us down.”
“We could always make an issue about it, [but] history will tell you over the last five or six games, we’ve actually fielded really, really well,” Malan noted. “We haven’t really done too much around highlighting the simple things that we know we need to be better at. You know, those basic fundamentals, the basic skill sets that we’ve got to execute at this level, which is the non-negotiable.”
A key area of concern remains the “death overs,” where Ireland’s momentum stalled against Sri Lanka. Malan noted that the team has dissected how Sri Lanka’s bowlers had used the slower conditions to their advantage and expects a similar surface for the Australia clash.
“The clarity of our convictions is probably the most important part there,” Malan explained. “We learned a little bit from the way that Sri Lanka went about their business. They obviously took all the pace off the ball. It’s definitely something that we’ve added to the thinking – part of our seamers and some of our spinners to be able to bowl later on in the innings.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s game, Ireland know their opportunities to face Australia have been rare over the last decade, making tomorrow’s contest a significant occasion. While the Australian line-up may be missing some familiar veteran names, Malan is under no illusions about the depth of their squad.
“Whenever an Australian team rocks up, it’ll be a very competitive team. You look at our side, we’ve got some proven performers too, and it sets up to be an exciting challenge. We took a fair bit out of the [2022 World Cup] game, and hopefully we can apply some of those learnings.”
With the heat expected to play a major factor, Malan emphasised that the team that adapts fastest to the physical and environmental demands will prevail.
“The team that can do that quickest and adapt quickest and execute their skills to the best of their ability will get ahead in the game,” Malan said. “The lads are really excited about the challenge. With a bit of knowledge around the conditions, kind of field dimensions, obviously the wicket. So, you know, just making sure that we’re up to speed with that and ensuring that we’ve got our plans in place for what’s going to be an exciting contest.”
