Prasidh Krishna Vows to Sharpen Bowling Lengths, Cut Economy Rate After Headingley Setback

Prasidh Krishna, the Indian bowler, is determined to bounce back after a less-than-ideal performance, focusing on refining his lengths and economy rate.

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

Despite having played only four Tests, Krishna's economy rate of 5.07 is a key area he wants to improve. This concern was amplified during the defeat at Headingley, where his economy was 6.28, and Shardul Thakur's was 5.56. Their inability to maintain pressure as change bowlers added to India's woes after spells from Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Krishna stated, "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. The outfield [at Headingley] was fast, the lengths, lines that I bowled were not perfect to be honest at most times, and they took me on. Some of them were edges, some of them I tried bowling bouncers, I ended up giving runs."

He further elaborated, "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."

Krishna emphasized his commitment to improvement: "I had a few conversations with a few of them about this game. I definitely would want to bring that [economy] down to whatever best I can do, and yeah, I think I'm learning as well, I can't say anything, it's up to me, 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."

Addressing Length Concerns

Krishna also acknowledged issues with his lengths. At Headingley, known for favoring bowlers who hit the good length area (6-8 metres), he bowled a significant number of balls (104 out of 211) short of this length. While this approach yielded three wickets, it also saw him concede runs at a rate of 7.54. Krishna attributed this to his hesitation to bowl fuller deliveries that could be easily driven.

"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. Yeah, that's what I would say. I think the second innings got slightly better because again, the wicket was slightly slower. I had to pitch a few slightly behind it and then go slightly fuller when I'm trying to get a wicket," Krishna explained.

He admitted, "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."

Stepping Up in Bumrah's Absence

With Jasprit Bumrah set to miss at least two of the remaining Tests due to workload management, the onus will be on Krishna to shoulder greater responsibility, both offensively and defensively.

Krishna acknowledged the team's supportive environment: "What the culture that we guys have created is we are learning off each other, no matter who's there, who's around. He's [Bumrah] been talking to all of us all though, even before coming here."

"At least for me, I've been part of this team for a few years now, so the conversations are still going on. One thing you cannot get is experience, that you have to do it yourself, and yeah, I think all of us are excited. If you look at the team, everybody is here, Siraj has played a lot of games, he's going to continue playing, and then whoever comes in, or whatever happens later, it's a great experience, and it's an opportunity for us to be here."

Contributing with the Bat

Beyond his bowling, Krishna is also expected to contribute more with the bat, particularly after India's batting collapses at Headingley. The lower-order batsmen have been working diligently in the nets, and Krishna understands the importance of valuing his wicket.

"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."