Indian tailenders came under heavy fire for their disappointing performances with the bat in the first Test against England, held from June 20 to 24 at Headingley, Leeds. In the opening innings, India’s last four batters scraped together a mere five runs. The second innings wasn’t any better, as the pace quartet of Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Prasidh Krishna could muster only four runs combined.
This poor showing drew strong criticism, with many highlighting how crucial even 20-30 runs from the lower order can be in a tightly contested Test match. Ahead of the second Test, set to begin on July 2 at Edgbaston, Prasidh Krishna addressed the media and assured fans that the lower-order batters are putting in the work to improve.
“As the lower-order batsmen, we definitely are working on… If you look at our net sessions, we are putting in the work,” Prasidh Krishna said. He emphasized the importance of building confidence and mental focus: “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.”
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Jasprit Bumrah struggled with the bat in the first Test, registering ducks in both innings, while Shardul Thakur managed just four runs in the second innings following a scratchy single in the first.
On the leadership front, Prasidh backed Shubman Gill, who made his Test captaincy debut at Headingley and impressed with a commanding 147 in the first innings. Though Gill faced criticism for his field placements and DRS calls, Prasidh praised his handling of the side.
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“About Shubman, yeah, I think he did a pretty good job. All of us saw how he rotated the bowlers, made sure everybody had enough breaks, and brought in people at the right kind of spells,” he said. “Knowing him, he set a very good atmosphere around. He’s been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there.”
