Evolving Prasidh looks forward to a challenge

Sydney: For over a month during India’s tour of Australia, Prasidh Krishna diligently toiled away in the 'nets' at every Test venue that the team travelled to. While young Harshit Rana -- fast-tracked by head coach Gautam Gambhir -- found an immediate spot, and Akash Deep impressed with his red-ball skills, Prasidh remained in the background, waiting for his opportunity.

The chance finally came after a series of events. Rana showed promise but struggled in the pink-ball Test, and Akash Deep’s back injury ruled him out for the Sydney Test. Prasidh stepped in, eager to prove his worth.

Prasidh’s initial outing in Sydney was far from smooth. After a solid first over, he struggled for consistency and was punished by Steve Smith and Beau Webster. But a change of bowling ends and an unexpected absence of Jasprit Bumrah due to a back spasm transformed the game for the lanky Karnataka pacer.

With renewed focus, Prasidh dismissed Smith, Alex Carey, and Webster -- three of Australia’s top four individual scorers -- helping India stage a brilliant comeback.

Reflecting on his performance, Prasidh revealed the turning point. “The difference was when I got back for lunch, I actually looked at where I was bowling, the lengths that I was bowling, but my perception of the length that I wanted to bowl was slightly different,” he said in the post-day press conference. “The analyst and I sat together (during lunch) and we had a better idea of what my reference point is when I am coming in to bowl the next ball, and that really helped.”

Prasidh acknowledged the importance of team support in helping him adjust during the game. “There were a few nerves when I started off; the first over went well, the next few didn’t,” he admitted. “But then I have enough people in the team who I can actually go to, sit down, and discuss what went wrong… What could be better? We have put in a lot of work, (bowling coach) Morne (Morkel) and myself… We kind of have a lot of discussions about what has to be done and things are going well for now.”

Prasidh’s prior experience in Australian conditions with India A proved invaluable. In matches against Australia A in Mackay and Melbourne, he had claimed 10 wickets, giving him a sense of confidence.

“I was here playing the India A games, and I did get a bit of confidence bowling in Australia,” Prasidh noted. “Having played some red-ball cricket previously in the Duleep Trophy, I was in good rhythm. I was running in well, and to have seen the way the (other) bowlers have bowled in the last four games that we played, I did learn a lot.”

Prasidh made his Test debut in South Africa, but the series was underwhelming, yielding just two wickets in two Tests. The experience, however, became a valuable learning curve.

“That (SA series) was a really good learning curve for me,” Prasidh reflected. “Every time I played for my state, I was bowling with a new ball, (but) coming here and having to bowl one change (was a bit difficult). I looked at what everybody in the world does when they are bowling one-change: try and give control to the team, have as much control and be consistent in lines and lengths that you are bowling. So I think that is the mental shift that I made, and obviously I had to put in some work to try and get myself to that point.”

Injuries have been a recurring challenge in Prasidh’s career. Two major injuries in two years kept him out of the game for extended periods, but now he has made a strong comeback.

“It feels great, and now that I have gotten a chance—honestly, I haven’t really thought about how much cricket I have missed,” Prasidh said. “I have been off it for some time now, two injuries in two years, but it definitely feels great and hopefully we keep doing this when I remain on the field for longer. To be learning every single day when you are at practice or when you are watching the people play.”

Cut-off box - Prasidh on Bumrah
Addressing Jasprit Bumrah’s sudden exit just after one over in the second session Prasidh said: “He had a back spasm and he had gone for scans. The medical team is monitoring him so we will know whenever the medical team gets back to us.”