Watch: Prasidh Krishna rocks Australia A with two wickets off successive balls; stakes a claim for Perth Test
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India A fast bowler Prasidh Krishna was on fire as he rocked Australia A with two wickets off successive balls during the second unofficial Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The tall fast bowler from Karnataka bowled the first over of the innings.
The first ball was a full toss which resulted in a run but Krishna was right on the money from the second ball. He bowled a full ball outside off stump coming from around the wicket to the left-hander Marcus Harris.
Harris looked to drive the ball away but instead, got an inside edge to the wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel. The left-handed opener was dismissed for a golden duck after a fine half-century in the first innings of the match.
Krishna didn't stop here and bowled a toe-crushing yorker in the next ball. Cameron Bancroft, who was facing his first delivery of the match, got an absolute peach from the lanky fast bowler, which landed straight on his toes.
Bancroft was not ready to face such a ball first up and got overbalanced, thus getting beaten on the inside edge. Prasidh Krishna let out a celeb appeal as the umpire raised his finger without any hesitation.
Watch: Prasidh Krishna rocks Australia A with two wickets off successive balls
Marcus Harris 🦆
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 9, 2024
Cameron Bancroft 🦆
Prasidh Krishna removes two Test contenders on consecutive balls in the first over #AUSAvINDA pic.twitter.com/5bOOhC7Fqj
Both opening contenders were dismissed cheaply
Both Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft are the contenders for the opener's slot in the Australian team for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But Prasidh Krishna was just too good for them.
Prasidh's double strikes in the first three balls of the match gave India A perfect start. Chasing 168 to win, Australia A were dealt with a double strike right in the first over.
Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas put together a good partnership for the third wicket before Mukesh Kumar removed McSweeney for 25. Australia A currently leads the two-match series 1-0.
Krishna bowled an excellent performance in the first innings as well. The 28-year-old picked up a four-wicket haul to help India A restrict to 223 in the first innings. Krishna also had a good time with the bat as he scored 29 and 14 across the two innings.
Prasidh Krishna's form good signs for India
Krishna is also in India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The right-arm quick has a great chance to get into the Playing XI after his recent performances. He has bowled with good pace and troubled the batters with his height, generating good bounce from the surface.
With India struggling a bit in the fast bowling department, Prasidh Krishna will certainly be in contention for the upcoming five-match Test series. He has played two Tests so far, both in South Africa. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah, India seems to lack in other aspects of fast bowling.
Mohammed Siraj is currently struggling with his form and rhythm while Akash Deep is inexperienced for Australian conditions. India will need to have all the fast bowlers in good form for a lengthy series.
