Prasidh Krishna Targets Economy Rate Improvement, Better Lengths After Headingley Struggles

Prasidh Krishna, the Indian bowler, is determined to improve his economy rate and bowl better lengths in upcoming matches. He acknowledges the need for improvement after recent performances.

After an expensive outing in Leeds, the 29-year-old Prasidh Krishna is keen to make amends © Getty

Krishna, who has played four Tests, is focusing on lowering his economy rate, which currently stands at 5.07 after 90 overs.

Addressing Concerns After Headingley Defeat

The Headingley defeat highlighted Krishna's economy rate woes, where he conceded 6.28 runs per over. Shardul Thakur also struggled with an economy of 5.56. Their inability to maintain pressure as change bowlers increased the pressure on lead bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Krishna stated, "Every time I come into bowl, I'm definitely looking to bowl a maiden and I'm not really trying to give away boundaries or anything. The outfield [at Headingley] was fast, the lengths, lines that I bowled were not perfect to be honest at most times, and they took me on."

He further added, "So I think somebody in the team had to do it, and if I sit back and say, 'I want to look at my numbers, what my economy is,' and not really look at the wickets, it cost me a 4 and a 6, and then Jamie Smith got out, so if it means that I do that and get a wicket, I'm happy to do it, but definitely every time I come on to the bowl, I am looking to keep the economy down and build the pressure up."

Taking Responsibility and Working on Improvement

Krishna acknowledged the need to improve his economy rate. "I had a few conversations with a few of them about this game. I definitely would want to bring that [economy] down to whatever best I can do, and yeah, I think I'm learning as well, I can't say anything, it's up to me, it's my responsibility to get better, and that's what I'm trying, that's what I'm working on, and I just want to make sure I put in the right kind of work and come back here and put up better numbers," he said.

Analyzing Lengths and Adjustments

Krishna also discussed his bowling lengths, noting that he bowled a significant number of balls short of a good length during the Test. While this yielded three wickets, it also resulted in a high economy rate of 7.54 on those deliveries.

He explained, "No, I think if I look at the first innings, I was a little too short than where I wanted to be, that 6 to 8 [metre length] is ideal. Yeah, that's what I would say. I think the second innings got slightly better because again, the wicket was slightly slower. I had to pitch a few slightly behind it and then go slightly fuller when I'm trying to get a wicket."

Krishna admitted that his reluctance to bowl fuller deliveries contributed to the issue. "So yeah, I definitely did not bowl the lengths that I wanted. Yeah, I think so... not wanting to float it up there is definitely one of the reasons, and also, it honestly took me some time to get used to the slope, that's why, yeah, no reasons why I shouldn't be able to do it as a professional, but I take complete responsibility about it, and maybe I'll do it better next time," Krishna added.

Stepping Up in Bumrah's Absence

With Jasprit Bumrah set to miss at least two of the remaining four Tests due to workload management, Krishna will need to take on greater responsibility within the team.

"What the culture that we guys have created is we are learning off each other, no matter who's there, who's around. He's [Bumrah] been talking to all of us all though, even before coming here," Krishna stated.

He further noted, "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, that you have to do it yourself, and yeah, I think all of us are excited. If you look at the team, everybody is here, Siraj has played a lot of games, he's going to continue playing, and then whoever comes in, or whatever happens later, it's a great experience, and it's an opportunity for us to be here."

Focus on Batting Contributions

In addition to his bowling responsibilities, Krishna is also aware of the need to contribute with the bat, particularly after India's batting collapses at Headingley. The lower-order batsmen have been working hard in the nets to improve their resilience and scoring ability.

Krishna concluded, "As the lower order batsmen, we definitely are working on it... if you look at our nets session, we are putting in the work, I think it is about putting your mind in there as well, making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill that you have, and be there at the crease for a little longer, and then the numbers and the runs are going to show, and we are working towards it."