Headline: Prasidh Krishna Takes Ownership, Vows to Sharpen Lengths and Cut Runs After Headingley Defeat

Prasidh Krishna, with only four Test appearances, is already focusing on refining his game. A key area for improvement is his economy rate, which currently stands at 5.07 after 90 overs.

Prasidh Krishna looking to bounce back after costly spell in Leeds © Getty

This concern was amplified during the Headingley defeat, where Krishna conceded 6.28 runs per over and Shardul Thakur 5.56. Their inability to maintain pressure as change bowlers exacerbated India's struggles after the spells of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Krishna acknowledged the need to improve. "Every time I come into bowl, I'm definitely looking to bowl a maiden and I'm not really trying to give away boundaries or anything," he stated. He admitted that his lengths and lines were not accurate enough at Headingley, contributing to the high scoring rate.

He further elaborated, "I think somebody in the team had to do it, and if I sit back and say, 'I want to look at my numbers, what my economy is,' and not really look at the wickets, it cost me a 4 and a 6, and then Jamie Smith got out, so if it means that I do that and get a wicket, I'm happy to do it, but definitely every time I come on to the bowl, I am looking to keep the economy down and build the pressure up."

Krishna has been analyzing his performance and is determined to improve. "I had a few conversations with a few of them about this game. I definitely would want to bring that [economy] down to whatever best I can do, and yeah, I think I'm learning as well, I can't say anything, it's up to me, it's my responsibility to get better, and that's what I'm trying, that's what I'm working on, and I just want to make sure I put in the right kind of work and come back here and put up better numbers."

The lengths bowled by Krishna have been scrutinized. At Headingley, a ground known for favoring bowlers who hit the good length area (6-8 metres), Krishna bowled a significant portion of his deliveries (104 out of 211) shorter than this. While this approach earned him three wickets, it also saw him concede runs at a rate of 7.54 per over. Krishna explained that this was partly due to his reluctance to bowl fuller and risk being driven easily.

"No, I think if I look at the first innings, I was a little too short than where I wanted to be, that 6 to 8 [metre length] is ideal. Yeah, that's what I would say. I think the second innings got slightly better because again, the wicket was slightly slower. I had to pitch a few slightly behind it and then go slightly fuller when I'm trying to get a wicket."

He added, "So yeah, I definitely did not bowl the lengths that I wanted. Yeah, I think so... not wanting to float it up there is definitely one of the reasons, and also, it honestly took me some time to get used to the slope, that's why, yeah, no reasons why I shouldn't be able to do it as a professional, but I take complete responsibility about it, and maybe I'll do it better next time."

With Jasprit Bumrah potentially missing at least two of the remaining four Tests due to workload management, Krishna's role becomes even more crucial. He will need to step up both offensively and defensively.

Krishna emphasized the team's collaborative environment, stating, "What the culture that we guys have created is we are learning off each other, no matter who's there, who's around. He's [Bumrah] been talking to all of us all though, even before coming here."

"At least for me, I've been part of this team for a few years now, so the conversations are still going on. One thing you cannot get is experience, that you have to do it yourself, and yeah, I think all of us are excited. If you look at the team, everybody is here, Siraj has played a lot of games, he's going to continue playing, and then whoever comes in, or whatever happens later, it's a great experience, and it's an opportunity for us to be here."

Beyond his bowling, Krishna is also expected to contribute more with the bat, especially after India's batting collapses at Headingley. The lower-order batsmen have been working hard in the nets, and Krishna is aware of the importance of valuing his wicket.

"As the lower order batsmen, we definitely are working on it... if you look at our nets session, we are putting in the work, I think it is about putting your mind in there as well, making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill that you have, and be there at the crease for a little longer, and then the numbers and the runs are going to show, and we are working towards it."