India's Prasidh Krishna Undeterred by Bumrah's Limited England Test Role: Focus Remains on Team Growth and Opportunity

Following India's defeat in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at Headingley, Leeds, the focus has shifted to managing Jasprit Bumrah's workload. Despite the loss, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Bumrah would only participate in three of the five Tests, a decision made prior to the series.

"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 after the match, emphasizing the importance of workload management for the key pacer.

With Bumrah set to miss some games, fellow bowler Prasidh Krishna sees this as a chance to step up.

Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah discuss strategy on the field.

"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. 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 — you have to go through it yourself. And yeah, I think all of us are excited," Prasidh told reporters in Birmingham, highlighting the team's positive environment and continuous learning.

He further added, "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 Historic Win and India's Response

England's victory was remarkable, overcoming the unprecedented challenge of conceding five individual centuries and still chasing down a target exceeding 300 runs. They successfully chased 371, with significant contributions from Duckett (149) and Root (53*). Despite India posting a total of 835 runs in the match, batting collapses, including a loss of 7 wickets for 41 runs and 6 wickets for 31 runs, proved detrimental.

Prasidh also addressed any concerns about dressing room morale. "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 stated.

He elaborated on the team's fighting spirit: "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. And then, you know, as a bowling unit, when something's happening, we still ended up taking the new ball. They needed about 20 runs, but 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."

Prasidh's Performance and Areas for Improvement

While Bumrah shone with five wickets in the first innings, the other bowlers, including Siraj, Prasidh, and Shardul, faced challenges. Prasidh, in particular, acknowledged the need for improvement in his consistency and economy.

He picked up three wickets in the first innings, conceding 128 runs in 20 overs (economy 6.40). In the second innings, he took two more wickets but gave away 92 runs in 15 overs (economy 6.10).

"Yeah, definitely (on economy over 6). I had a few conversations with some of the guys about how this game went. 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," Prasidh explained.

He further detailed his approach: "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 outfield was fast. The lengths and lines I bowled weren’t perfect, to be honest, most of the time. And they took me on — some were edges, and some were bouncers I tried that ended up going for runs. 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. But yes, every time I bowl, I’m looking to keep the economy rate down and build pressure."

Analyzing his bowling, Prasidh noted, "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 — that's what I would say. In the second innings, it got slightly better because the wicket was a bit slower. I had to pitch a few deliveries slightly behind the ideal spot and then go a bit fuller when trying to get a wicket. So yeah, I definitely didn’t bowl the lengths I wanted to."

Prasidh Praises Captain Gill

This England series marks Shubman Gill's first as India’s Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement. Prasidh has prior experience playing under Gill at 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. He spotted opportunities and used the right bowlers accordingly. All of that was great. And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team," Prasidh said, praising Gill's captaincy.

He concluded, "He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there. As lower-order batsmen, we are definitely working on our game. If you look at our net sessions, we are putting in the work. I think 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."