In the first Test against South Africa, debutant pacer Prasidh Krishna and all-rounder Shardul Thakur faced a challenging day as they conceded 19 boundaries out of 37 in 66 overs. South Africa amassed 256 runs in pace-friendly conditions, prompting questions about India’s fast bowling beyond Bumrah, Siraj, and the injured Shami.
Dean Elgar’s aggressive play, especially against Prasidh and Thakur, resulted in a swift unbeaten 140 off 211 deliveries. The bowlers struggled to contain Elgar’s attacking strokes, raising concerns about India’s pace attack depth.
While acknowledging the small sample size of one day, the performance has sparked discussions about the readiness of bowlers like Prasidh and Thakur to perform consistently at the Test level. The next few days will reveal more about their capabilities and the state of India’s pace bowling beyond the established trio.
India’s pace cupboard, apart from Prasidh and Thakur, includes Mukesh Kumar, who is considered a swing exponent and needs favorable conditions to excel. Building a robust pace battery around Bumrah, Shami, and Siraj with talents like Prasidh, Mukesh, Akash Deep, Avesh Khan, and Vidwath Kaverappa is crucial for India’s Test cricket success, especially in overseas conditions.
