- Prasidh Krishna doubtful for New Zealand ODIs, practice tests scheduled for May 1-2 scheduled for November. The 30-year-old pacer is yet to receive clearance from the Center of Excellence and faces further trials before his availability for the ODI series can be confirmed.
- Prasidh Krishna’s participation in the ODI series against New Zealand looks increasingly uncertain.
- The 30-year-old fast bowler has been conditionally selected for three of the five matches in the series, which begins on November 4, but is yet to receive clearance from the Center of Excellence (CoE).
Prasidh Krishna doubtful for New Zealand ODIs, practice tests scheduled for May 1-2 scheduled for November. The 30-year-old pacer is yet to receive clearance from the Center of Excellence and faces further trials before his availability for the ODI series can be confirmed.
Prasidh Krishna’s participation in the ODI series against New Zealand looks increasingly uncertain. The 30-year-old fast bowler has been conditionally selected for three of the five matches in the series, which begins on November 4, but is yet to receive clearance from the Center of Excellence (CoE). Prasidh is expected to undergo match simulations on November 1 and 2, putting his availability for the first ODI in Auckland in serious doubt.
The second and third ODIs are scheduled for November 7 and 10 respectively, but whether the team management and selectors will take the risk of fielding him in any of these matches remains uncertain and is also subject to CoE proval. The BCCI squad announcement on October 16 had an asterisk next to Prasidh’s name for the first three ODIs, with his inclusion listed as “subject to fitness clearance”. He was not named in the squad for the last two ODIs, where several red-ball specialists including Ctain Shubman Gill were also left out.
Prasidh suffered a hamstring injury in the second ODI against West Indies on September 30 and has been in the CoE since then. He underwent an initial game simulation on October 22 and the fact that further tests are now scheduled for November 1 and 2 suggests that the previous assessment did not produce the results required for clearance. What does the Council of Europe assessment say about Prasidh’s recovery?
Despite satisfactory clinical progress, Prasidh reportedly suffered some seizures and his recovery and response continue to be monitored by the CoE medical team. According to sources, the Council of Europe’s overall assessment was not entirely discouraging, although the situation continues to be closely monitored. “Gradual increase in workload: Competency-specific workload will be gradually increased under continuous clinical supervision,” says the CoE report cited by Cricbuzz.
“Immediate priority: The focus is to gradually achieve the required bowling workload ahead of the next Test series against New Zealand,” the report added. The language of both statements makes it clear that the CoE’s primary concern is to increase Prasidh’s bowling load in a controlled manner, with the Test series against New Zealand serving as the primary target for his return to full fitness. Will Prasidh Krishna be available for New Zealand Tests?
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ctain Shubman Gill want Prasidh to be available for the two Test series where India faces a critical situation regarding their qualification for the World Test Championship final. Given the importance of these matches, the team management may also decide not to risk him in the remaining ODIs even if he is given partial release. There is no fitness asterisk in front of Prasidh’s name in the Test squad, indicating that the team management expects him to be fit for the five-day format.
The first test is scheduled to begin in Wellington on November 19th and the second in Christchurch on November 27th. If cleared in time, Prasidh could take part in the third unofficial Test between India A and a New Zealand team to be played from November 6-9 as a preparatory step before the main series. Whether the simulations on November 1st and 2nd produce the required results will determine how his involvement in both formats of the tour will play out.
Prasidh has only featured in nine Tests so far but has established himself as a reliable bowler in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. Its availability for the New Zealand tests should become clearer in the coming days following the results of the upcoming simulation sessions at the CoE.
