Social media trolls and critical comments from most experts were all that was in store for Prasidh Krishna following the first two Tests at Headingley and Edgbaston during the just-concluded series.

Marked as the weak link in India’s bowling unit, Prasidh was dropped from the XI for the games at Lord’s and Old Trafford. There were talks of Prasidh losing a bit of pace following his return to competitive cricket in 2024 after recovering from a left quadriceps injury.

However, injury to left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh, late call-up Anshul Kamboj’s struggles in Manchester, and Jasprit Bumrah’s absence in the decider at The Oval helped Prasidh come back to the final XI.

And, on a lively and spicy Oval wicket, he certainly did well to grab the opportunity, as he expressed himself better and took a four-for in each innings to finish with a match-haul of 8/188. A performance almost as important as the lion-hearted Mohammed Siraj’s nine-wicket haul.

Siraj’s relentless pursuit of one last burst to drag India back into the contest found a perfect ally in Prasidh, especially in the period before rain forced early stumps on Day IV. Of course, a horrendous shot from Jacob Bethell contributed to making Prasidh more confident and keeping India’s hopes alive. That aside, he ensured to maintain the pressure on Joe Root, who was already finding it tough to negotiate Siraj’s probing, darting-in deliveries.

The correct line and length eventually earned Prasidh the wicket of Root, which was also a turning point in the game. Fortunately for Prasidh, he had found his rhythm in critical phases of both innings, which was pivotal for India’s narrow win.

The Karnataka quick did have bowling coach Morne Morkel to discuss the problems he faced. However, the sessions he had with Troy Cooley — fast bowling coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) — before leaving for England played a significant role.

“After the IPL, Prasidh and others worked with Troy Cooley when they were at the CoE for a few days. Troy had understood Prasidh’s tendency to keep pitching the ball a little shorter was due to the time he spent in the IPL (for Gujarat Titans).

“So, he told Prasidh categorically that he needed to pitch the ball up, hitting in between that 5-7m length, which usually works in England as it aids swing. In Leeds and Birmingham, Prasidh bowled in between the 7-8m spot, which is on the shorter side in England, and that leaked runs.

“But at The Oval, he tried bowling a tad fuller. And it worked,” a BCCI official said on Tuesday.

Enough game time

Former national selector Salil Ankola believes more game time should help Prasidh improve further. “Credit also goes to captain (Shubman) Gill for backing Prasidh.

“You’ve got to understand that it’s never easy for a quick, who has suffered a back and quadriceps injury in the space of just three years, like Prasidh has,” Ankola, also an ex-pacer, pointed out.

“You need to be a little more patient with him. Prasidh is tall and can get that awkward bounce. On that Oval wicket, he has shown what he is capable of, and he’ll gradually get better with the pitched-up delivery. Just give him the game time he deserves.”

Prasidh’s yorker-length delivery with a shade inward movement to castle Josh Tongue and hitting the channel outside off-stump to dismiss Ben Duckett were among his rewards for bowling it full. The 29-year-old is learning for sure.