India Eye Series Comeback: Krishna Backs Team's Resilience Despite Bumrah Workload Management

Following a setback in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Leeds, India is determined to regroup as they trail England 1-0 in the five-match series. Amidst the series intensity, strategic workload management for pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah becomes crucial.

Despite the initial defeat, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has reaffirmed the pre-series decision that Bumrah will participate in only three of the five Tests. "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 post-match.

With Bumrah's limited availability, fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna sees this as 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. 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.

"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," he added, emphasizing the depth and resilience within the squad.

England's recent victory was a historic one, overcoming the odds to chase down a target of 371 despite conceding five individual centuries. Duckett (149) and Root (53*) led the charge, guiding England to 373/5. Jamie Smith sealed the win with a six. India's impressive total of 835 runs, including two centuries from Rishabh Pant, was undermined by batting collapses that ultimately proved decisive.

Prasidh also dismissed any concerns about discord within the team.

"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 asserted.

"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," he added, underlining the team's fighting spirit.

Krishna Aims for Improvement

Despite Bumrah's five-wicket haul in the first innings, the supporting bowlers, including Siraj, Prasidh, and Shardul, faced challenges. Prasidh, in particular, struggled with consistency and an expensive economy rate.

He secured three wickets in the first innings, conceding 128 runs in 20 overs (economy 6.40). In the second innings, he added 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 acknowledged.

"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," the pacer elaborated.

"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," he confessed.

Praising Captain Gill

This England series marks Shubman Gill’s inaugural assignment 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 stated, praising Gill's captaincy.

"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," Prasidh concluded, highlighting the team's commitment to improvement under Gill's leadership.