India vs. England: Prasidh Krishna Confident Despite Bumrah's Limited Series Role, Cites Strong Team Culture

Following a setback in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at Headingley, Leeds, the Indian team is recalibrating its strategy. England currently leads the five-match series 1-0. Despite the loss, India is focused on managing the workload of key players like Jasprit Bumrah.

Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has confirmed that Bumrah will participate in only three of the five Tests, a decision made prior to the series' commencement. "We need to manage his workload. The scoreline doesn’t change that… he will play three Tests only," Gambhir stated after the match.

In Bumrah's anticipated absence, fellow pace bowler Prasidh Krishna sees an opportunity to step up.

"What a culture we guys have created. We are learning from each other, no matter who's there or who's around," Prasidh told reporters in Birmingham. He emphasized the team's collaborative spirit and continuous learning, highlighting Bumrah's active involvement in guiding his teammates. "And with Booms (Bumrah) around, he's been talking to all of us throughout, even before coming here…the conversations are still going on."

He further elaborated on the significance of experience, stating, "One thing you cannot get is experience — you have to go through it yourself. And yeah, I think all of us are excited."

Addressing the overall team composition, Prasidh noted, "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 recent victory was a historic one, marking the first instance in over 60,000 first-class matches where a team conceded five individual centuries and successfully chased a target exceeding 300 runs. England chased down 371 runs, with notable performances from Duckett (149) and Root (53*). While India amassed 835 runs in the match, propelled by two centuries from Rishabh Pant, batting collapses proved detrimental.

Prasidh also addressed speculations about dressing room dynamics, affirming, "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. And even in the game today, we might have looked quiet at times, but I think we still had a plan."

He further explained the team's 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 held on to the hope that something might happen. So we were still out there believing. We made sure that until the last run was scored, we were still fighting and making them work hard for it."

Focus on Improvement

While Bumrah excelled by taking five wickets in the first innings, the supporting bowlers – Siraj, Prasidh, and Shardul – faced challenges. Prasidh, in particular, acknowledged his expensive spells and the need for greater consistency.

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."

He also elaborated on his strategy while bowling: "Every time I come out to bowl, I’m definitely looking to bowl a maiden. I’m not really trying to give away boundaries or anything… 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. And if I sit back and only look at my numbers or economy rate and not the wickets — well, it got me a four and a six, and then Jamie Smith got out. So if that’s what it takes to get a wicket, I’m happy to do it."

He also identified areas for improvement in his bowling lengths. "If I look at the first innings, I was a little shorter than where I wanted to be. Ideally, six to eight meters is what I was aiming for… So yeah, I definitely didn’t bowl the lengths I wanted to," he concluded.

Prasidh Praises Captain Gill

This England series marks Shubman Gill’s inaugural stint as India’s Test captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma. Prasidh has prior experience playing under Gill for Gujarat Titans.

"About Shubman — yeah, I think he did a pretty good job. All of us saw how he rotated the bowlers, made sure everyone got enough breaks, and brought bowlers in at the right times… All of that was great. And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team," Prasidh commented.

He further added, "He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there…we are definitely working on our game… It’s also about putting your mind into it — making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill you have, and stay at the crease a little longer. The runs and numbers will then follow. And we are working towards that."