Ace in the pace pack

Cricket : Prasidh has been making good strides over the last few seasons

A fine blend of aggression, pace and consistency in a fast bowler can make him highly effective and successful.

Karnataka’s Prasidh Krishna’s short yet promising career has been marked with these significant traits and the 20-year old’s encouraging journey at the State-level has not only earned him growing amount of praise from the experts but has also given him ample amount of opportunities to improve his skills in his chosen craft.

Prasidh is among a select group of fast bowlers training in the KSCA-IDBI Federal Life Insurance Bowling Foundation under the guidance of legendary Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson and the joy knew no bound for the youngster when he was picked along with State-mate David Mathias to train with Thomson at Australia’s Centre of Excellence.
Though elated on receiving the opportunity, Prasidh desires to keep his focus intact on his goals Down Under.

“I don’t have great expectations and I am going with an open mind,” notes Prasidh. “I would like to observe and learn training techniques, get to know the pitches there and understand their (Australians’) approach to fast bowling. Jeff Thomson trained us on forming plans to get the batsmen out and I am looking forward to working with him” says Prasidh.

Prasidh’s growing interest towards the game was spotted by Srinivas Murthy, the former Karnataka player and his first bowling coach in Carmel School, Padmanabhanagar. Having learnt the basics from Murthy, Prasidh began to train in Basavanagudi Cricket Academy before joining Mount Joy Cricket Club, with which he has now completed five years.

After having represented the State in 2009 in the under-14 category, Prasidh made steady progress and the youngster’s career received a big boost when he received the opportunity to train under former Australia paceman Glenn McGrath at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai last April.

“I was a beginner when I was selected for the MRF camp. I had played U-19 for Karnataka and nothing more than that. I got the opportunity to train with top bowlers from across the country and I received a lot confidence from that. I learnt a lot under McGrath, who emphasised a lot on getting line and length right,” recollects Prasidh.

With 19 wickets from nine matches in the KSCA Group I, Division I tournament, Prasidh has had a fine season this year so far. With the domestic cricket approaching, Prasidh’s consistency has given himself a strong chance of bagging a place in the State side but the youngster likes to remain oblivious to the attention around him.

“I am a process oriented individual and I am focussing more on working hard than worrying about my selection. I believe the selection part of it will take care on its own. I understand the level of competition in cricket and I enjoy it. If a player is good, then you need to be better than him,” he explains.

Apart from being a part of the MRF Pace Foundation, Prasidh’s career made a significant progress, when he was included in the Karnataka squad for a three-day game against Bangladesh ‘A’ last Septmeber in Mysuru. The six-foot-two-inch player made a strong impact on the game, with his five-wicket haul in the first innings rattling the visitors. The youngster subsequently earned a place in the Karnataka Ranji squad for their season opening game against Assam.

Having watched him from close quarters, Karnataka bowling coach Mansur Ali Khan or  MAK as he is popularly known, feels Prasidh is an intelligent bowler.

“Prasidh has the ability to send in sharp in-swingers with great amount of pace and he is a good prospect for Karnataka. After the experienced Abhimanyu Mithun, Prasidh stands next in fine in-swing bowling. He is a smart bowler and he even managed to impress the Indian batsmen, when he bowled to them during a national camp held at the Chinnaswamy Stadium last year,” noted MAK.

A keen learner, Prasidh believes there is still a lot to improve in him. “I want to bowl quicker and I want to be consistent. Consistency matters a lot to fast bowlers,” feels Prasidh.

Coach Murthy reaffirms Prasidh’s interest to learn and deliver. “Right from his school days, Prasidh was a meticulous student. He had the advantage of height from a young age and he would swing the ball brilliantly,” says Murthy.

Currently pursuing his third year in Bachelor of Commerce in Jain College, Prasidh thanks his parents and his coaches for their unceasing support.

“My parents have been extremely understanding towards my aspirations and all my coaches have guided me very well. Right from learning the basics of getting the run-up right from my first coach Murthy to interacting and learning from former players and experienced coaches, the journey has been extremely enlightening,” feels Prasidh, who received the best bowler award from KSCA for his achievements in the U-23 CK Nayudu Trophy.

An ardent follower of Brett Lee, Prasidh is eager to match the former Australia pacer’s aggression and skills on the field. “Brett Lee has inspired me and I used to watch lot of videos of him. Be it his aggression, his pace, his ability to bowl in good areas, everything has inspired me a lot,” he concludes.