Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna has set an unwanted record during the ongoing first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds.
Prasidh Krishna‘s spell of 3/128 came at an economy rate of 6.40, the worst for any Indian bowler who has bowled a minimum of 120 balls or 20 overs in a spell. He surpassed Varun Aaron’s previous record, who had gone for runs at an economy rate of 5.91 against Australia in Adelaide in 2014. Aaron had recorded 2/136 from 23 overs.
In his 20 overs, Prasidh Krishna took the wickets of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith. However, he was also on the receiving end of some brutal hitting from the England batters. Coming to his overall numbers, Prasidh Krishna now owns 11 wickets at 33.18 across four Tests. His economy of 4.87 is certainly on the higher side. Notably, Prasidh Krishna piped the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Harshit Rana for a spot in India’s XI.
Prasidh Krishna’s not so promising test career
Prasidh Krishna is bang-average. He is not Test-class. The sooner it dawns on the national selectors and the Indian team management, the better. The fast bowler made his Test debut in December 2023, against South Africa at Centurion. On a green pitch, Prasidh Krishna gave away 93 runs in 20 overs for a wicket. His bowling profligacy, along with Shardul Thakur’s, was a reason why the hosts got to 408 in their first innings and inflicted an innings defeat on India.
In the second Test in Cape Town, on an even greener surface, where Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj had shared 15 wickets between them, Prasidh Krishna returned with an economy rate of 6.75 in South Africa’s second innings. India, though, won the Test and levelled the series.Earlier this year, against Australia in Sydney, he once again leaked runs for fun, as the hosts chased 162 for victory on the spiciest pitch of the series. The three wickets he took eventually proved to be inconsequential, for he never put the opposition under pressure.
Once again, Prasidh Krishna was the weak link in India’s bowling in the ongoing Test against England in Leeds. The hosts finished Day 2 on 209/3, and all three wickets (3/48) went to Bumrah. Between Prasidh Krishna and Siraj, 106 runs were conceded in 24 overs without a wicket. Prasidh’s figures read: 10-0-56-0.
Prasidh Krishna eventually picked up 3 wickets but for that leaked 128 runs at the economy of 6.40 the worst one in the history for Indian bowlers. In the first innings, Prasidh Krishna gave away 128 runs in 20 overs at an economy of 6.40, which are the worst figures by an Indian bowler, which is the most expensive spell by an Indian, who bowled a minimum of 20 overs in an innings. However, he got the wickets of Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Jamie Smith.
Prasidh Krishna always has been a wicket taker- Dodda Ganesh
Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh believes Prasidh Krishna can produce a heftier effort, provided he makes some minor tweaks to his approach ahead of the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Ganesh has also advised the right-arm pacer to watch and learn from pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
Prasidh Krishna, who had a five-wicket match haul at Headingley, was disappointing as he followed the hard lengths strategy that he adopted in Australia, but England demanded much fuller lengths from him, and he could deliver that only in periods. He conceded 128 runs off 20 overs in the first innings and 92 off 15 overs in the second at an economy rate of 6.40 and 6.10, respectively.
“Prasidh has always been a wicket-taker, but he needs to bowl with some consistency and needs to focus on the areas he is bowling. It will help him bowl more maidens, especially when the ball gets older. He can’t bowl on both sides of the wicket,” Ganesh told PTI.
“In England, the ball swings around a bit because of the conditions. He just needs to watch Bumrah on how to bowl consistent lines and lengths. He needs to concentrate more on the channel outside [off-stump], and he will be better,” he added.
India have failed to defend 370+ scores in back-to-back Tests against England in English conditions, dating back to their defeat in the final game of the 2021/22 series at the Oval.
India’s Headingley heartbreak wasn’t a catastrophe, it was a missed opportunity. Shubman Gill’s young team showed promise, especially with the bat at the top of the order, but also showcased areas that need immediate attention. Whether it’s plugging the middle-order gaps, tightening fielding standards, or reducing dependency on a single bowler, this loss can serve as the blueprint for growth.
Shubman Gill spoke candidly about the team’s shortcomings after the game and reaffirmed the belief in this young side. The road to redemption runs through Birmingham now, and India will hope that the second Test sees a more complete, composed performance. Having lost the Leeds Test from a strong position, Team India will need to lift themselves quickly. The second Test of the five-match series begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2.
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