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Former India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has extensive experience nurturing young Indian fast bowlers, both during his stint with Team India and at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). In a recent assessment, Mhambrey highlighted Prasidh Krishna, a tall and pacey bowler, as a potential asset in conditions known for their bounce, such as those found in Australia and South Africa.
Krishna possesses the essential qualities of a formidable fast bowler, particularly suited to longer formats of the game. His imposing height can unsettle batsmen, making him particularly dangerous on pitches offering bounce. However, injuries have plagued his career, leading to inconsistent performances and preventing him from cementing his place in any format despite numerous opportunities.
Paras Mhambrey identifies Prasidh Krishna as the bowler suited for overseas conditions.
Paras Mhambrey is closely monitoring the development of Prasidh Krishna and is keen on his advancement. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Mhambrey emphasized that Prasidh Krishna has the potential to excel in conditions that support bounce. He further noted that Krishna’s height sets him apart from other bowlers.
“I want to see how Prasidh (Krishna) progresses. That’s one name that comes to mind. He has shown a lot of potential. Tall guy. He’s very different from the others. Hits the deck hard. You need to have bowlers to use different conditions. He is one bowler who can be of use in Australia, South Africa and add a lot of variety to the attack,” said Mhambrey.
Prasidh Krishna underwent surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon earlier this year, which unfortunately sidelined him for IPL 2024. However, the promising young fast bowler is now poised to make his return to domestic cricket.
Prasidh Krishna’s underwhelming Test debut
Prasidh Krishna’s Test debut during the 2023 series against South Africa saw him struggle to find his rhythm despite the favorable conditions in Centurion and Cape Town. Across two Tests, he managed just two wickets at an average of 65.
However, Krishna boasts a more commendable record in ODIs, where he has claimed 29 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 25.58 and an economy rate of 5.60. He was once in contention for a spot in India’s 2023 ODI World Cup squad, but fitness issues intervened, ruling him out of consideration.
Given his height and pace, Krishna has the potential to be a potent force in Test cricket, provided he remains fit and available for selection. His impressive first-class credentials for Karnataka include 58 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 19.41, featuring three five-wicket hauls.
Paras Mhambrey also highlighted several other young fast bowlers capable of being India’s X-factors in overseas conditions due to their ability to generate high pace.
“There is Kuldeep Sen. He has an x-factor. He is another tall guy with the ability to generate pace, but both he and Prasidh are struggling with fitness. Mayank Yadav is a recent case of someone who has stormed the IPL. Raw pace. Again, someone who has fitness issues. We have to manage them,” he said.
“I was highly impressed with Mohsin Khan from what I’ve seen so far. He’s a tall left-armer who generates significant bounce. Of course, Umran Malik is also in the mix. Alongside Avesh, Harshit, Mukesh, and the rest of the team, I believe these are the players we should keep a close eye on,” Mhambrey remarked.
