India vs England: Atherton warns India against picking Prasidh Krishna

The India vs England Test series is not faring in the favor of Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna, at least so far. The speedster seems unable to curb the run flow off his bowling, remaining inconsistent in his line and length. Day 3 of the second India vs England Test, meanwhile, brought up the most brutal assault for the seamer as Jamie Smith took a liking to the short-length deliveries that Krishna kept throwing at him. As the duo of Smith and Harry Brook charged against the visitors with their respective tons, Prasidh Krishna fell under the scrutiny of the experts and the audience alike.

Scrutiny mounts for Prasidh Krishna as the pacer gets hammered by Jamie Smith on Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test

In the second India vs England Test, Prasidh Krishna has drawn significant criticism for his expensive spells. At one point in the day, bowling against Brook and Smith, Krishna was going at over 7.00 runs per over. One particular spell saw him return figures of five overs for 50 runs. His persistent short-ball approach backfired spectacularly, especially against Jamie Smith and Harry Brook. Smith, in particular, took a liking to him, smashing 23 runs off a single over in the first session of Day 3.

The struggles of Prasidh Krishna didn’t begin in this Test alone. During the opening match of the series, although he managed to pick up five wickets, he remained India’s most expensive bowler. He leaked runs at over six per over in both innings, conceding 128 runs from 20 overs in the first and another 92 from 15 in the second.

Former England skipper Michael Atherton weighed in on the selection call, indirectly questioning the choice of fielding Krishna. Addressing India’s captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, Atherton stated he would’ve preferred including Kuldeep Yadav. According to him, the wrist-spinner would’ve offered more attacking variety, especially in the later stages of the match.

"I wouldn't pick this gentleman, Prasidh Krishna. I would have picked Kuldeep Yadav," said Atherton in commentary while Smith and Brook grilled the pacer on the pitch. 

Atherton was not the only one criticising the Indian pacer. Former Indian star, Varun Aaron questioned India's tactics behind tackling with Jamie Smith and Harry Brook. The former speedster scrutinised the consitent use of short balls against the English duo who didn't hesitate in sending those delivers out of the boundary line. While Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep controlled the run flow at their end, it remains to be seen whether Prasidh Krishna manages to keep his place in the combination for the upcoming matches in the series.