The pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna didn't let India feel Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the team in the fifth Test against England. They did so by performing incredibly well with the ball in both the first and second innings of the match held at Kennington Oval. Krishna, who had been dropped from the team after failing to deliver in the first two Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, came back with a bang in the penultimate match and ended up taking four scalps each in both of England's innings.
Krishna and Siraj pretty much snatched victory from England's hands on the final day of Oval Test by taking their remaining four wickets in the space of just 30 runs, bundling out the hosts for 367 and winning the match by a 6-run margin. The duo performed took 17 out of the 20 wickets against England at The Oval as they stepped up big time with Bumrah sitting on the sidelines.
Following the match, Krishna's childhood coach, P. Srinivasa Murthy, urged his former pupil to become a bowler just like Bumrah and take up the responsibility of getting wickets for his side in crunch situations as Siraj cannot do everything alone.
"Prasidh complemented Siraj brilliantly in this Test. Siraj alone couldn’t have won this match. Just like batting partnerships, bowling partnerships are crucial too, and both Siraj and Prasidh shouldered that responsibility perfectly," Murthy told Mid-day.
"Prasidh should stay rooted and focus on improving in every game. He has to be fit enough to play in all formats. He should become just like Bumrah. Bumrah is wanted in every format. That should be his benchmark, aim," he added.
Krishna showed major improvements in fifth Test
Murthy further stated that Krishna drastically improved his line and length after getting dropped from the team following the second Test.
"To be honest, from the first Test of this series to the last Test, I have seen a drastic improvement in Prasidh’s line and length. He became more controlled. In the first two Tests, he was not up to the mark, which is why he lost his place in the playing XI. But then, he worked on his bowling and has come back strongly. This shows his fine character," Murthy stated.
Krishna finished the England series with a total of 14 scalps under his name from six innings. His sensational performance in the fifth Test can turn out to be a major confidence booster for him and may even be enough for the selectors to pick him for India's next red-ball assignment which will be a two-match series against West Indies and will commence from October 2.