IND vs SA: Irfan Pathan Backs Either Of Avesh Khan And Mukesh Kumar To Replace Prasidh Krishna in 2nd Test

Former Indian All-Rounder who is now mostly seen as an Expert cricket analyst, Irfan Pathan has backed either Mukesh Kumar or Avesh Khan to replace Prasidh Krishna from India’s playing XI for the 2nd Test against South Africa at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.

Krishna who made his Test debut during India’s loss by an innings and 32 runs in the 1st Test, was not able to impress anyone as the South African batting department toyed with Indian pacers throughout the 2nd innings.

After batting first, India wasn’t able to produce the type of performance that was expected. Rohit Sharma became the first to depart after getting caught in a Deep fine leg by playing a pull shot, his partner Yashasvi Jaiswal, playing his 1st ever Test in South Africa, struggled to understand the behavior of the pitch in both innings.

Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer too were playing a red ball match in South Africa and they also faltered badly in both of India’s innings. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were the only 2 brightest prospects for India and it was the former’s efforts that dragged India to a 1st inning total of 245.

When it came to India’s turn to bowl, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammad Siraj looked very ordinary in front of South African batters. Dean Elgar, David Bedingham, and Marco Jansen all took on the bowling line-up and made it look like a walk in the park.

Prasidh Krishna was expected to shine for India but he was able to pick just 1 wicket of Kyle Verreynne as he ended up conceding 93 runs in 20 overs with an economy rate of just less than 5. The 27-year-old had a decent record in First-class cricket, accounting for 55 wickets in 13 matches but he was not able to showcase any of his talent in the 1st Test and Irfan Pathan has already put him out of his plans.

While #SunilGavaskar feels #RavindraJadeja is a shoe-in for #RAshwin, both him and #IrfanPathan also see #MukeshKumar replacing #PrasidhKrishna.

Do you agree with these changes?

Tune-in to #SAvIND 2nd Test
WED, JAN 3, 12:30 PM | Star Sports Network pic.twitter.com/vlPdUgOYPZ

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 1, 2024

With His Place In Jeopardy, Can Prasidh Krishna Stage A Comeback In Tests Against England?

After not performing well in the 1st Test, Prasidh Krishna looks to certain to be dropped from the 2nd Test, making way for Avesh Khan or Mukesh Kumar. But there are very less reasons for him to worry as another chance might come when England comes to India for a 5-match Test series.

The series is slated to start from January 25th and Prasidh Krishna will have an ample opportunity in front of him, where he can produce his best performance in home conditions.

The 1st Test will take place in Hyderabad, followed by the 2nd Test in Andhra Pradesh. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Tests will get underway at Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh. The last test will start on March 7.