'I Wouldn't Pick This Gentleman' - Former England captain criticises Prasidh Krishna after poor show against England in 2nd Test

On Day 3 of the series with England, Test 2 at Edgbaston, it was a mixed day for India's bowlers. Mohammed Siraj was great with the ball and claimed his sixth wicket of the innings, while Prasidh Krishna failed to take a wicket and was smashed for 23 runs in a single over by Jamie Smith, including four boundaries and a six. With an economy rate of 5.50, Krishna recorded one of the highest in Test history for bowlers with at least 500 balls.

His poor performance invited criticism from fans and experts. Former England captain Michael Atherton, speaking on commentary, said, "I wouldn't pick this gentleman, Prasidh Krishna. I would have picked Kuldeep Yadav." Ahead of the match, many had called for Kuldeep’s inclusion, and with Krishna struggling, that decision now looks questionable. A social media post also claimed that Krishna now holds the worst economy rate in Test history, though this has not been officially confirmed.

On the other hand, Mohammed Siraj brought India back into the match with his brilliant bowling. After England’s Harry Brook (158) and Jamie Smith (184*) added 303 runs for the sixth wicket, India needed a breakthrough. Akash Deep bowled Brook, and Siraj cleaned up the lower order with three quick wickets.

Siraj delivers when it matters most

Siraj, speaking to JioHotstar, said, “This feeling is unbelievable. I'd been waiting for a moment like this for over a year. I always bowled well, but wickets didn't come. Today, the morning session felt good, but still no breakthrough—so these six wickets are really special.”

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Siraj removed Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir to complete his six-wicket haul. England were bowled out for 407 after being 84/5, and India ended the day in a strong position. While Siraj and Akash Deep shared all ten wickets, Prasidh Krishna’s place in the team now remains under serious doubt.