Prasidh Krishna Vows to Sharpen Bowling After Costly Spell in Leeds Test

Prasidh Krishna is determined to refine his bowling performance, focusing on achieving better lengths and reducing his economy rate after acknowledging his recent performance fell short of expectations.

After an expensive outing in Leeds, the 29-year-old Prasidh Krishna is keen to make amends © Getty

With only four Tests under his belt, Prasidh Krishna is already pinpointing areas for improvement. His economy rate of 5.07 across 90 overs is a key concern he wants to address directly. This is especially crucial considering his role as a change bowler.

In the Headingley defeat, Krishna's economy of 6.28, coupled with Shardul Thakur's 5.56, underscored the issue. Neither bowler managed to maintain sufficient pressure after the initial spells by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

"Every time I come into bowl, I'm definitely looking to bowl a maiden, and I'm not really trying to give away boundaries or anything," Krishna stated. He attributed his high economy in Leeds to a combination of factors, including the fast outfield and less-than-perfect lengths. He acknowledged that his attempts at bowling bouncers also contributed to the runs conceded.

Krishna elaborated on his mindset, emphasizing his willingness to take risks for wickets, even if it means potentially conceding runs. "So I think somebody in the team had to do it, and if I sit back and say, 'I want to look at my numbers, what my economy is,' and not really look at the wickets, it cost me a 4 and a 6, and then Jamie Smith got out, so if it means that I do that and get a wicket, I'm happy to do it, but definitely every time I come on to the bowl, I am looking to keep the economy down and build the pressure up."

He further revealed conversations with team members regarding his performance and his commitment to improvement. "It's my responsibility to get better, and that's what I'm trying, that's what I'm working on, and I just want to make sure I put in the right kind of work and come back here and put up better numbers," Krishna asserted.

A closer look at his lengths bowled during the Test reveals that Krishna bowled a significant 104 out of 211 balls short of a good length, which is typically between 6-8 meters. Although this length yielded three wickets, it also resulted in a high average of 7.54 runs conceded. Krishna explained that his overcompensation stemmed from a desire to avoid pitching the ball up for easy drives.

Addressing his lengths, Krishna admitted, "No, I think if I look at the first innings, I was a little too short than where I wanted to be, that 6 to 8 [metre length] is ideal." He noted a slight improvement in the second innings due to the slower wicket conditions.

"So yeah, I definitely did not bowl the lengths that I wanted. Yeah, I think so... not wanting to float it up there is definitely one of the reasons, and also, it honestly took me some time to get used to the slope, that's why, yeah, no reasons why I shouldn't be able to do it as a professional, but I take complete responsibility about it, and maybe I'll do it better next time," Krishna conceded.

With Jasprit Bumrah expected to miss at least two of the remaining Tests as part of a workload management strategy, the onus will be on Krishna to step up and deliver, both with the ball and with the bat.

Krishna highlighted the team's supportive environment, emphasizing that players learn from each other regardless of experience. He acknowledged the invaluable nature of experience, which can only be gained through personal involvement.

Beyond his bowling, Krishna is also focused on improving his batting contributions, particularly after India's batting collapses in Headingley. He noted the lower order's dedicated work in the nets and the importance of mental fortitude and self-belief at the crease.

"As the lower order batsmen, we definitely are working on it... if you look at our nets session, we are putting in the work, I think it is about putting your mind in there as well, making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill that you have, and be there at the crease for a little longer, and then the numbers and the runs are going to show, and we are working towards it."