Prasidh Krishna Eyes Bowling Improvement: Focus on Economy Rate and Length Control During England Tour

Prasidh Krishna, with four Test appearances under his belt, is keenly focused on improving his economy rate. Currently at 5.07 after 90 overs, this is a key area he aims to address during the ongoing India tour of England, 2025.

Prasidh Krishna seeks to bounce back after a costly performance in Leeds © Getty

The bowler's economy became a significant concern following the defeat at Headingley, where he conceded 6.28 runs per over, while Shardul Thakur gave away 5.56. Their inability to maintain pressure as change bowlers amplified India's struggles once the spells of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj concluded.

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 on his role within the team, saying, "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 acknowledged the need for improvement and has had discussions with teammates about his performance. "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."

Analyzing his bowling lengths, Krishna noted that he bowled a significant number of balls (104 out of 211) short of a good length during the Test. While this strategy earned him three wickets, it also resulted in a high concession rate of 7.54 runs per over. Krishna attributed this to his reluctance 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 also admitted struggling to adapt to the slope at Headingley. "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."

With Jasprit Bumrah expected to miss at least two of the remaining four Tests due to workload management, Krishna faces increased pressure to perform effectively in both attack and defense.

He emphasized the team's culture of mutual learning, stating, "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."

Krishna added, "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."

Beyond his bowling responsibilities, 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 to improve their resilience at the crease.

"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."