India vs. England Test Series: Prasidh Krishna on Bumrah's Absence, Team Mindset, and Learning from Experience

India faced a setback in the opening Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Leeds, falling to England and trailing 1-0 in the five-match series. As the series intensifies, the focus shifts to managing the workload of key pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Despite the defeat, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir reaffirmed the pre-series decision to limit Bumrah to 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 after the match.

With Jasprit Bumrah set to miss some matches, fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna sees a valuable 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... One thing you cannot get is experience — you have to go through it yourself. And yeah, I think all of us are excited," Prasidh shared with reporters in Birmingham.

He further emphasized the team's depth and positive outlook: "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. They became the first team in over 60,000 first-class matches to successfully chase a target exceeding 300 despite conceding five individual centuries. England chased down 371 runs, with notable contributions from Duckett (149) and Root (53*). India scored a total of 835 runs in the match, including two centuries from Rishabh Pant, but suffered significant batting collapses that ultimately cost them the game.

Prasidh addressed any concerns about the team's morale after the loss: "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 continued, "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... 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."

"I'm Learning," Says Krishna

While Bumrah secured five wickets in the first innings, the other bowlers – Siraj, Prasidh, and Shardul – faced challenges. Prasidh, in particular, struggled with consistency and proved to be expensive.

In the first innings, he took three wickets but conceded 128 runs in 20 overs (economy 6.40). The second innings saw him claim two more wickets while giving away 92 runs in 15 overs (economy 6.10).

"Yeah, definitely (on economy over 6)... I definitely want to bring that number down — to the best I can. And I think I’m learning as well... 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.

He further explained his approach to 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... 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."

Regarding his bowling lengths, Prasidh stated, "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... In the second innings, it got slightly better because the wicket was a bit slower... So yeah, I definitely didn’t bowl the lengths I wanted to."

Prasidh's Take on Captain Gill

This series marks Shubman Gill's first as India's Test captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement. Prasidh has previously played 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... And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team," Prasidh commented.

He concluded, "He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there... The runs and numbers will then follow. And we are working towards that."