He conceded 85 runs in the last match.
Mohammad Kaif criticised pacer Prasidh Krishna following his underwhelming performances in the first and second ODIs of the IND vs SA three-match home series.
The hosts managed to secure a sneaky 17-run victory in the first ODI after posting 349 on the board. However, KL Rahul & Co. suffered a record-breaking defeat in the next match, raising concerns over their pace attack. Meanwhile, with the series level at 1-1, India and South Africa are locking horns in the decider at the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (December 6).
Analysing Prasidh’s bowling, Kaif lambasted the bowler, insisting the 29-year-old doesn’t know his strengths. He also acknowledged the struggles of bowling with wet balls.
“Prasidh was expensive even in the Tests in England. He leaks runs. He is a bowler who does not know his strengths. He is not extremely skilled in any one area. His strength is to hit the deck, but he does not bowl slower ones. This is the only thing he knows. He did work a bit on the variations in the IPL. But international cricket is different,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
With the dew playing a huge factor, Indian bowlers struggled to control the flow of runs on a flat Ranchi track as South Africa successfully chased down the 359-run target, the joint-highest chase against India in 50-over cricket.
Prasidh Krishna was the most expensive bowler for the Men in Blue. While he claimed two wickets, the right-arm pacer conceded 85 runs off his 8.2 overs at an economy of 10.20. He was hit for eight fours and three maximums. He also bowled the lone no-ball of the match and a couple of wides, underlining his poor control.
In the first IND vs SA ODI, Krishna didn’t bowl his full quota and conceded 48 runs in 7.2 overs at over 6.5 runs per over, leaking three fours and as many sixes – that’s 30 runs. His career economy rate is nearly six.
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Mohammad Kaif also raised concerns about the inexperience within India’s pace battery in the absence of senior seamers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj. He stressed that inexperienced players, such as Prasidh, Arshdeep, and Rana, require support or guidance during the match, as the hosts aim to find the right playing XI combination before the ODI World Cup 2027.
Notably, Team India has already suffered a Test series whitewash at the hands of South Africa, leading into the ODI series. The five-match T20I series will follow the IND vs SA ODI series, starting December 9 in Cuttack.
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