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Prasidh Krishna commended the Indian team's outstanding bowling display that dismantled Australia for a modest 181 in the first innings of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Saturday, handing India a small but psychological lead of four runs.
Playing a pivotal role in the effort, Prasidh delivered a remarkable performance, claiming three vital wickets. His contributions became even more crucial after pace spearhead and stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah was sidelined temporarily due to injury concerns. "The team is really pumped up. You could see the way that we were going after...even when we were bowling, the way that we were moving between overs. I think we're really confident about the plans that we have in mind and the skill set that we have. So, we are really here for a fight and we make sure we get it our way this game," Prasidh said, as quoted by ICC. Reflecting on his success, the 28-year-old credited his impressive showing in his first match of the series to the experience garnered while representing India A and his domestic side. He also acknowledged the guidance and support provided by the coaching staff, which played a significant role in shaping his performance. "I was here playing the India A games. I did get a bit of confidence bowling in Australia and having played some red ball cricket previously in the Duleep Trophy, I was in good rhythm, I was running in well and to have seen the way the bowlers have bowled in the last four innings, four games that we played, I did learn a lot," he said. "And then when I got the ball in hand, obviously there was a bit of nerves when I started off. The first over went well, the next few didn't go really well. But then I have enough people in the team who I can actually go to sit down and discuss what went wrong, what could be better. And we have put in a lot of work. Morne and myself, we kind of have a lot of discussions about what has to be done and things are going well for now," he added. Prasidh also discussed the pitch's changing dynamics, noting its potential impact on the remaining three days of the Test. "Yes, actually it is getting difficult in some areas. The ball is keeping low sometimes, but there is enough bounce for us to be in the game and look for those edges and try and beat them on either side of the bat," he said. When asked about India's batting, he heaped praise on Rishabh Pant for his fearless and dynamic innings. Pant's electrifying 61 off just 33 balls featured six boundaries and four towering sixes, including an audacious six off Boland's very first delivery. His counterattacking knock injected energy into India's second innings. "All of us were sitting together, the bowlers were sitting together and watching him bat and we definitely said if I was sitting at home and watching this, I would have loved it. To be able to do it from the ground, I mean, nothing like it. I know it's a lot of risk, but that's the way the game is played today," he noted. With India leading by 145 runs and four wickets in hand, Prasidh was asked about the target he considered defendable. While he refrained from providing a definitive number, his confidence in the team's ability to capitalize on the lead was evident. "As many runs as possible would be great for us because we don't really know what the wicket is behaving like. It's going up, it's going down. If you can be aggressive, there is risk involved, but you get a reward of runs. But yeah, there's no particular number in mind, but then as many runs as we score would be great," he noted. (ANI)
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