Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna has set an unwanted record during the 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 and Akash Deep, 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.
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.
In the second innings, Prasidh Krishna gave India hope with the wickets of Zak Crawley and Pope in quick succession but he once again had an economy rate above six (6.10) while conceding 92 runs in 15 overs.
Overall, Prasidh Krishna’s conceded 220 runs in the match at an economy of 6.28. Among the 517 bowlers in test cricket history to concede more than 200 runs in a match over both innings, Prasidh’s economy rate is the fourth worst behind only Zahir Mohammed (7.25 vs England, 2022), Imran Tahir (7.02 vs Australia, 2012), and Nahid Rana (vs Sri Lanka, 2024).
Moreover, Prasidh Krishna became the first bowler in Test cricket history to give away more than 90 runs in both innings at an economy rate of more than six. Overall, there have been 61 such instances in the longest format, but no bowler has done it twice in the same match.Robert Willis, Yasir Shah, Chamika Kumara, and Alzarri Joseph also have two spells where they conceded 90+ runs at an economy rate higher than 60 but they came in different matches.
Prasidh Krishna continued to be a weak link in the Indian bowling setup even in the second Test match vs England as he continued his expensive ways giving runs in plenty bagging only a single wicket in England’s 2nd innings. With Jasprit Bumrah set to make his Lords return, it is evident that the axe of omission is on Prasidh Krishna’s neck and Former Indian cricketer now commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has echoed similar sentiments.
Sanjay Manjrekar predicts Prasidh Krishna could be replaced by Jasprit Bumrah
Despite securing a memorable win by 336 runs over the English team at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday (July 6), Indian team management could make multiple changes to India’s playing XI for the third Test against England. The third Test of the ongoing five-match series between India and England is scheduled to take place at Lord’s from July 10 to 14.
World No. 1 Test bowler Japsrit Bumrah is all set to return for the red-ball match at the Home of Cricket. India’s Test captain Shubman Gill confirmed the news of Bumrah’s return on Sunday during the post-match presentation ceremony. The 31-year-old fast bowler from Ahmedabad had missed the Birmingham Test as part of his workload management.
In his absence Akash Deep played in Birmingham, and after taking a total of 10 wickets (4 in the first and 6 in the second innings), the 27-year-old pacer from Bihar has confirmed his place in the side for the remaining three matches as well. Bumrah, in all likelihood, will replace Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI. Krishna was heavily trolled by fans on X for his expensive bowling in the first Test as well as the first innings of the second Test.
In addition to Krishna, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and Karun Nair could also be left out of the playing XI for the game at Lord’s. Kuldeep Yadav or Arshdeep Singh may come in place of Nitish for the third Test. Nitish wasn’t used by Shubman Gill as a bowler in the second innings of the Birmingham Test, and with the bat he could only manage to score 1 run each in both innings.
The inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav or Arshdeep will add more strength to India’s bowling unit, and since Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar have impressed with their batting in the second Test, there is no reason to play three all-rounders and instead add one more specialist bowler.
India hammered England by 336 runs in the second Test in Birmingham to level the five-match series 1-1. The first two Tests were played on flat tracks at Headingley and Edgbaston, with the tourists scoring more than 1000 runs across both innings in the second game.Indian bowlers also outclassed their English counterpart and picked up all 20 wickets in the match to secure a historic win. The early images of the Lord’s surface showed that there was a bit of grass, meaning that there would be seam and movement on offer for the fast bowlers.
On the eve of the third Test, former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that even if the Lord’s offer a green top, India will not go in with four pacers and will instead replace Prasidh Krishna with Jasprit Bumrah in the playing XI.
“I see a seamer going out. Unless it is a seaming green top. Even a green top at Lord’s if the sun is out we saw few years back when Ajinkya Rahane got a hundred it becomes dry,” Manjrekar said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.
“So I don’t think India will get so carried away. Bumrah back, Siraj and Akash Deep are your three seamers. Prasidh Krishna might just sit out so that could be the obvious choice,” he added.
India played three pacers in Siraj, Akash and Prasidh at Edgbaston. While bagged six wickets in the first innings, Akash returned with a 10-wicket match haul.
“I don’t think so (on India playing for seamers and dropping Nitish Kumar Reddy) because Prasidh Krishna has had his issues. It’s not like he’s not droppable. Mohammed Siraj had a terrific Test, he was another seam bowler who was slightly vulnerable with his place in the 11,”Manjrekar said.
“But Siraj has clinched his place. Prasidh Krishna with the economy being a problem, I don’t see India going in that direction,”he remarked.
Siraj would draw confidence from his match-winning exploits at Lord’s four years ago while Bumrah is a threat even on the flattest of pitches. Having tied the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, the third Test at the historical Lords is going to be a blockbuster as it is finely balanced at 1-1. England skipper Ben Stokes has shown his cards and said that his team will perform with all guns blazing against India when the five day encounter between the two teams starts on July 10.
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