'Would have picked Kuldeep Yadav': Ex-England captain questions Prasidh Krishna's selection after Edgbaston struggles

Prasidh Krishna struggled to perform in the first innings of the second Test against England. (BCCI Photo)

Despite having a strong reputation within the Indian cricket fraternity, Prasidh Krishna has struggled to make an impact in his Test comeback. Currently featuring in just his fifth Test, Krishna’s high economy rate has raised concerns globally. His economy — well above 5 runs per over — is the worst among frontline bowlers. While he hasn’t yet bowled 1,000 deliveries or played the 10 Tests required to officially enter the record books, the early signs are far from encouraging.

In the recent Test against England at Leeds, Prasidh Krishna managed to pick up five wickets but remained the most expensive bowler in both innings. He conceded over six runs per over throughout the match, giving away 128 runs for three wickets in 20 overs in the first innings, and 92 runs for two wickets in the second.

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In the second Test, Prasidh Krishna went wicketless in the first innings, conceding 72 runs in 13 overs at an economy rate of 5.54. His short-ball strategy backfired badly, with Jamie Smith smashing him for 23 runs in a single over — a clear sign that the English batters had little trouble handling his approach.

Former England captain Michael Atherton questioned India's team selection, stating that he wouldn’t have included Prasidh Krishna in the playing XI for this Test. Addressing captain Shubman Gill — who also leads Krishna in the IPL — and head coach Gautam Gambhir, Atherton said he would have preferred Kuldeep Yadav, an attacking spinner who could have been far more effective, especially in the second innings.

"I wouldn't pick this gentleman, Prasidh Krishna. I would have picked Kuldeep Yadav," said Atherton in commentary while Krishna was getting hammered all over the park by Smith and Brook.

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Michael Atherton had voiced similar concerns right after the toss of the ongoing Test. The former England skipper believed India missed a trick by not including a proven wicket-taker like Kuldeep Yadav, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Earlier, Atherton had suggested that India should have opted for Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep as their specialist bowlers instead of picking Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar.

While Krishna usually clocks speeds above 140 km/h, his pace noticeably dropped into the mid-130s when he attempted bouncers against Jamie Smith. On a slow surface, this gave Smith ample time to position himself and unleash a series of confident pull shots.

Krishna's plan did not went well with former India fast-bowler Varun Aaron.

"Too many bouncers, too many short balls. On a slow pitch, when none of your bowlers are consistently pushing the 145 kph mark, you cannot afford to bowl that many short deliveries. Indian bowlers have the skill to keep it on that ideal length — keep hitting the stumps. Sustained pressure is what gets you wickets. You can't expect things to happen immediately all the time," he said on JioHotstar.