Former Indian cricketer and commentator Ajinkya Rahane has asserted that the Indian ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s absence helped Prasidh Krishna to take up an added responsibility in the first ODI against the West Indies on Sunday, September 27, in Trivandrum.
Notably, Prasidh ended the game with figures of 2/60 in 10 overs as the West Indies posted a daunting total of 295/7 in 50 overs. Speaking exclusively to Cricbuzz, Rahane stated that it’s a great opportunity for Krishna to perform without Bumrah. Notably, Bumrah is part of the Asian Games 2026 event in Japan.
“He has improved his consistency in length by pitching it up more. In a way, it’s good that Jasprit Bumrah isn’t there. Because of that, he has added responsibility. And we saw with Siraj on how he became a very good bowler when Bumrah wasn’t there by taking up more responsibility. Likewise, for Prasidh, it’s a great opportunity to be that guy without Bumrah,” Rahane said.
Meanwhile, former Indian keeper Dinesh Karthik, who is also part of the same discussion, was impressed with the Indian team’s overall bowling performance in the first ODI. Interestingly, Kuldeep Yadav, Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy were the wicket-takers, while Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja and Gurnoor Brar emerged wicketless.
“It was a decent bowling performance as a team. Nitish Kumar Reddy had a tough start. Gurnoor Brar is always going to be a wicket-taker but also expensive because of the lengths he bowls. So he will always provide wickets but go for runs. Naman Dhir was steady. He is not a full-time bowler and not someone who can give you 10 overs. He is restrictive and a defensive bowler,” Dinesh Karthik said.
