Michael Atherton slams Prasidh Krishna's ineffective bowling at Edgbaston

Former England captain Michael Atherton has criticised Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna for his performance in the ongoing Edgbaston Test. Atherton not only questioned Krishna’s effectiveness but also raised concerns over his selection in the playing XI, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.

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In England’s first innings, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep led the attack with a six-wicket and four-wicket haul respectively, helping India gain a strong 180-run lead. However, Prasidh Krishna had a poor outing. He went wicketless, conceding 72 runs in 13 overs at an economy rate of 5.53.

This wasn't a one-off. In the first Test at Leeds, Krishna picked up five wickets in total but was also the most expensive bowler, leaking over six runs per over in both innings.

Atherton: "I Wouldn't Pick This Gentleman"

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Speaking during commentary, Atherton said: "I wouldn't pick this gentleman, Prasidh Krishna. I would have picked Kuldeep Yadav." Atherton felt that India missed a trick by not selecting a genuine wicket-taker like Kuldeep, especially on a pitch that did not offer much pace or bounce.

He also suggested that Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep would have been better choices over Krishna and Washington Sundar, both of whom struggled to make an impact.

During England’s innings, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith took Krishna apart with ease. He kept bowling bouncers in the mid-130s, which did not trouble the batters. Instead, they attacked him freely, adding to his misery.

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Former India pacer Varun Aaron also weighed in with criticism. Speaking on JioHotstar, he said: "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. Sustained pressure is what gets you wickets. You can't expect things to happen immediately all the time."

As the match heads into the final day, India need 7 more wickets while England require 536 runs to pull off an improbable chase. With conditions expected to be overcast, Indian bowlers will have help. 

Now, all eyes are on Prasidh Krishna to see if he can silence his critics and deliver a meaningful performance to help India seal a memorable win at Edgbaston.

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