India Seeks Series Rebound Against England; Prasidh Krishna Ready to Fill Bumrah Void

Following a setback in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Leeds, where England secured a 1-0 lead, India is focused on regrouping and leveling the five-match series. A key point of discussion has been the management of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's workload.

Despite the initial loss, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Bumrah would participate in only three of the five Tests, a pre-determined decision aimed at optimizing his performance and preventing burnout. "Haven’t decided which two matches Bumrah will play, but he will play a total of three. We need to manage his workload. The scoreline doesn’t change that… he will play three Tests only," Gambhir stated post-match.

Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah during a recent match.

With Bumrah's limited availability, fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna recognizes the opportunity to contribute significantly to the team's efforts.

Prasidh addressed the team's dynamic, emphasizing a culture of mutual learning and support. "What a culture we guys have created. We are learning from each other, no matter who's there or who's around. And with Booms (Bumrah) around, he's been talking to all of us throughout, even before coming here... One thing you cannot get is experience — you have to go through it yourself. And yeah, I think all of us are excited," Prasidh shared with reporters in Birmingham.

He further highlighted the collective spirit within the squad, stating, "If you look at the team, everybody is here. Siraj has played a lot of games, he's going to continue playing, and whoever comes in — or whatever happens later — it's a great experience and an opportunity. That’s the way we look at it."

England's victory in the first Test was a historic one. They became the first team in over 60,000 first-class matches to concede five individual centuries and still chase down a target exceeding 300 runs. Despite Rishabh Pant's two centuries and India's formidable 835-run total in the match, batting collapses proved detrimental.

Addressing any concerns about the team's morale, Prasidh affirmed, "The dressing room is still positive, happy, and very, very motivated. Like I said, we came here knowing what this opportunity meant for all of us... we still had a plan,"

He elaborated on their approach, "We wanted to do something, and we went about doing it — we got two wickets in a cluster, twice. So that kept the motivation going... We made sure that until the last run was scored, we were still fighting and making them work hard for it," he added.

Prasidh Aims for Improvement

While Bumrah demonstrated his prowess by claiming five wickets in the first innings, the supporting bowlers, including Siraj, Prasidh, and Shardul, faced challenges. Prasidh, in particular, acknowledged the need for improvement in his consistency and economy.

Reflecting on his performance, Prasidh admitted, "I definitely want to bring that number down — to the best I can. And I think I’m learning as well. It’s on me — I can’t say anything else. It’s my responsibility to get better, and that’s what I’m trying. That’s what I’m working on. I just want to make sure I put in the right kind of work and come back here with better numbers,"

He further explained his strategy, "Every time I come out to bowl, I’m definitely looking to bowl a maiden... The lengths and lines I bowled weren’t perfect, to be honest, most of the time... But I think someone in the team had to do it... So if that’s what it takes to get a wicket, I’m happy to do it... But yes, every time I bowl, I’m looking to keep the economy rate down and build pressure," the pacer added.

Analyzing his bowling lengths, he noted, "If I look at the first innings, I was a little shorter than where I wanted to be... In the second innings, it got slightly better because the wicket was a bit slower... So yeah, I definitely didn’t bowl the lengths I wanted to,"

Prasidh Praises Captain Gill

This series marks Shubman Gill's inaugural assignment as India's Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Prasidh, having previously played under Gill at Gujarat Titans, shared his observations.

"About Shubman — yeah, I think he did a pretty good job... He spotted opportunities and used the right bowlers accordingly... And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team,"

Concluding on a positive note, Prasidh stated, "He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there... The runs and numbers will then follow. And we are working towards that,"