Net sessions and facing Herath: how Will Young prepared for India series

It’s not fun to exclusively be labeled and recognized as a ‘spare batter’, but for four years, Will Young had to deal with just that. 

"Since my debut four years ago, I've been in and out through form, selection. I've been a reserve batter for a number of years now. So I've come to know the feeling of running the drinks pretty well,” he said with a sarcastic undertone, albeit admitting that was his reality.

That might very well change going forward. The 31-year-old has just encountered his breakthrough series in Test cricket. And the breakthrough performance has not just come in some series but in India, the toughest place to tour in Tests. 

On November 3 (Sunday), New Zealand became the first team in history to clean-sweep India in a three-match bilateral series in their own backyard and Young was at the forefront of the historic feat. The right-hander hit twin fifties in the third Test at the Wankhede, and he was named the Player of the Series for his stellar performance with the bat on some brutal wickets, with the No.3 batter amassing 244 runs at an average of 48.80.

The remarkable thing about Young’s performance was that it came on the back of no match practice. New Zealand played two Tests in Sri Lanka prior to the India series but Young didn’t feature in either of them. He last played red-ball cricket in June in England, and had to fill-in last moment after Kane Williamson sustained an injury that ruled him out of the tour.

So with there being no match practice, how did Young make sure he was raring to go?

“I ran the drinks in Sri Lanka but there were really good nets there, and I trained most days - whether it was with Michael Bracewell or Rangana Herath, who has bowled to me a lot,” he explained. 

“And, before that in Noida, although the outfield was really wet, we were still able to train over there.

“I felt very prepared, to be honest.”

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Outside the twin fifties at the Wankhede, the 31-year-old got starts in both innings in Pune and played two fine knocks in the first Test in Bengaluru. In the second innings in Bengaluru, where he posted an unbeaten 48 in the fourth innings, Young had to navigate a tricky spell from a fiery Jasprit Bumrah.

But the right-hander insisted that, though he had fun facing Bumrah, it was getting runs against the spinners that gave him more satisfaction.

"If you look at all three matches, there were different challenges in each. In Bengaluru, a lot of wickets fell to seam and in Pune & Mumbai, it was challenging to play spin. I think as a New Zealander coming over here and playing in Indian conditions, you're always gonna get more satisfaction from scoring runs against spin. So the runs in Pune and Mumbai felt more special,” he said.

In the first innings in Mumbai, Young came pretty close to scoring his maiden Test century, but he eventually fell short. He posted another fifty in the second innings without converting, making it nine fifties and no hundreds for the 31-year-old in Tests. No New Zealander has scored more Test fifties without racking up a hundred.

The right-hander said he’ll take series victories over centuries all day long, but hoped that a century was ‘just around the corner’.

"I'd like a hundred but, at the same time, winning a series - that's why we play the game ultimately. I'd definitely win games of cricket over scoring hundreds but hopefully, a hundred is around the corner as well."

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