Sanjay Manjrekar is certain that Krishna can still make it into the playing XI for the second Test and has placed his trust in the Karnataka pacer. In the Boxing Day Test at the Centurion, India lost to South Africa innings-by-innings despite Prasidh Krishna’s poor performance. The opponent finally took the lead in the first inning due to the debutant’s leaking of runs and lack of tight distances in his bowling.
During his 20 overs in the match, Krishna took just one wicket and gave up runs at an economy rate of 4.65. There was a widespread belief that India lost the match because their second-change pacers did not support lead pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
However, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that it is unfair to evaluate the elite pacer based just on one game.
“It will be a little harsh to drop Prasidh Krishna after one because, if you look at him, he is not somebody who hits the deck hard,” the former cricket player turned analyst stated in an interview with ESPNCricinfo. He makes some use of his height. His proposals are all a little vague. Only short balls possess some degree of strength and speed.
It is anticipated that the likes of Avesh Khan or Mukesh Kumar will be selected ahead of the pacer now because of his poor performance; nevertheless, Manjrekar feels the management must give him one more chance to show his abilities. The former Mumbai hitter went on to suggest that Krishna, the head of the pack when Virat Kohli led the squad under Ravi Shastri’s tutelage, may have participated in the second game.
In my opinion, not too many people will be upset if Mukesh Kumar plays. Giving Prasidh Krishna a fair run is something the new management is concerned about, so they will be observing how he bowls in the nets and determining whether it is fair. It would have been brutal under the previous team management. Things like this gave Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli fits. These men may attempt it again. However, as the series consists of just two games, they might be eager to make adjustments, Manjrekar continued.
India wants to make a series
The next match is set for January 3–7 in Cape Town following a somewhat disappointing loss in the first Test. In order to improve their standing in the World Test Championship 2023–25 cycle, the Rohit Sharma-led team would be eager to put up their best effort and win the match. If they triumph in Cape Town, the series will be 1-1, and they will be level on points with the Proteas.
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