2nd Test: ‘Aggression can come out in different ways,’ says Prasidh as India look to press SL

Colombo, Aug 25 (IANS) India pacer Prasidh Krishna credited disciplined bowling, a sharp slip cordon and an attacking mindset for his side’s early success against Sri Lanka after India reduced the hosts to 8/2 before bad light brought an early end to Day Two of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground on Monday.

India had already posted a commanding 503/9 before declaring the innings, built around centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, before their bowlers were given a brief opportunity to make an impact late in the day. Krishna needed only two deliveries in his second over to provide the breakthrough.

The fast bowler has also brought an increasingly assertive presence to India’s attack. Asked about his aggressive approach, Krishna explained that his definition of aggression extends beyond visible emotion and is primarily reflected in the intensity and consistency of his bowling.

“Yeah, I would like to say so. I mean, aggression can come out in different ways, and for me it is about what I’m doing when I’m bowling. It’s very easy for people to get away or be distracted by what’s happening in the pitch. There’s too much happening, there’s not too much happening, but I think the focus is still to come in and bowl those areas with full effort,” Krishna told the broadcasters before the start of Day 3’s play.

Bowling back of a length outside off, Krishna found the surface offering enough movement to straighten the delivery sharply. Udara was squared up and edged the ball towards gully, where Yashasvi Jaiswal produced a diving catch to remove the Sri Lankan opener for one.

Reflecting on the dismissal, Krishna pointed to both the assistance from the surface and India’s work in the field.

“Yeah, I think it was, there’s something in the pitch, of course. Maybe stopped a little bit. There was a bit of seam, and I think credit goes to Jaiswal for the catch that he took. It was an exceptional one. We have been putting in some effort on the field in practice, so I think it just paid off,” he mentioned.

Krishna’s dismissal of Udara was particularly valuable given how little time India had with the ball before bad light intervened. Manav Suthar then removed Prabath Jayasuriya for two with the final delivery of the day, leaving Sri Lanka in immediate trouble at 8/2.

For Krishna, however, the early wickets were not simply a product of individual brilliance. He stressed the role of the fielders positioned behind the wicket, highlighting the importance of completing the job after creating an opportunity.

“100%. I think 50% of the job is bowling the ball there, getting an edge, but 50% is taking it as well, and we have been pretty good at doing that. I think it’s also doing the simple things right, which we have been doing well, and that’s what shows,” he added.

His spell against Sri Lanka also underlined his ability to adapt his lengths to the conditions rather than relying solely on a naturally comfortable release point. Krishna said India’s coaching and analytical teams assess the conditions before deciding how the bowlers should operate.

“Length is something that keeps changing with pitches that we play on. So we sit with analysts, coaches, and everything and decide on what’s the kind of length that we want to be bowling on different surfaces. And yeah, natural length was something that I could say when I was not playing for the country, but when I’m here I need to be bowling every length that the team wants, and I’m trying to do that,” he concluded.

India resumed Day 3 with Sri Lanka 495 runs behind, having lost two wickets in the three overs available on Monday evening.

–IANS

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