Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Prasidh Krishna’s economy rate in 23 ODIs is 6.02. He has taken 40 wickets since making his debut in this format in 2021.
Arshdeep Singh’s economy rate over 14 ODIs is 5.29. He has taken 22 wickets since making his debut in 50-over internationals in 2022.
Prasidh can extract extra bounce off the deck because of his height. In his case, though, negatives far offset the positives. Even after so many years — he made his debut in first-class cricket in 2015 and List A debut two years later — Prasidh remains a prisoner of his inconsistency. Also, beyond his bowling, the 29-year-old offers virtually nothing. He is a mug with the bat and a weak fielder. His dropped catch to give Daryl Mitchell a reprieve on 80 in the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot proved costly. It was a regulation catch, but Prasidh never looked like taking it.
Arshdeep is a better package — he can bat a bit and is a decent fielder. Unless the Indian team management is trying to manage his game time with an eye on the T20Is against the Kiwis followed by T20 World Cup, his omission in the first two ODIs of the ongoing series defied logic. The series is currently tied at 1-1, with all to play for in the decider in Indore on Sunday. India haven’t lost a home ODI series since 2023. Will Arshdeep eventually be given a game?
At the pre-match press conference, Mohammed Siraj was asked about his choice of the new-ball partner, whether he would prefer to share it with Arshdeep. The senior fast bowler gave a matter-of-fact reply. “Look, Harshit Rana has bowled very well. You can see that he has been taking wickets with the new ball. The captain and coach decide who will bowl and when,” Siraj said.
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He praised Arshdeep, while presenting a bigger picture. “As a bowler, my thinking is that if the opposition is under pressure and wickets are falling, I want to build pressure from my end as well. I don’t want to leak runs… I want to bowl in one area and create pressure so the next wicket comes. Arshdeep also did very well against South Africa.
“If someone else is getting an opportunity now, that is also good. Looking ahead to the World Cup, it gives confidence and exposure to more players, which is important for the future.”
The fact of the matter is that, it’s never between Harshit and Arshdeep. The former is adding balance to the side through his all-round contributions at No. 8. As he told reporters in Vadodara, the team management has been going through the process of grooming him as an all-rounder, with Harshit spending extra hours on batting at the nets. His bowling has taken the course of steady improvement.
The Indian team management will have to decide between Prasidh and Arshdeep for the series decider. The hosts need to keep things tight on a pitch that is expected to be full of runs. If New Zealand win, it will be their first-ever ODI series triumph in India.
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