Prasidh Krishna had a poor Test debut during the India vs South Africa first Test at Centurion, conceding 93 runs for one wicket. He looked totally out of sorts, and could not fill in the big shoes of Mohammed Shami, who is out due to an injury. Eventually, India lost the match by an innings and 32 runs.
While many want Mukesh Kumar, in place of Prasidh for the second Test, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that the latter would fare much better in the second match, if given a chance.
Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan said, “Prasidh Krishna can bowl much better than how he did in Centurion. His length could be perfect on South African pitches. If you look at the height that Rabada bowls from, Prasidh bowls a similar length, which is full but not for a drive. But that length was not seen in the first Test.”
Pathan added that Prasidh should look to hit the deck harder. “It looked like he was trying to bowl loopy deliveries and not hitting the deck hard. If he tries to hit the deck, he’ll get more purchases. Maybe this was the first-match nervousness. He couldn’t make the adjustment but I’ll be hoping for a better performance if he plays the second match.”
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Meanwhile, Avesh Khan has been added to the Test squad on the back of decent performances in the IND A match against SA A. He might get a look in, ahead of Prasidh for the second Test.