Prasidh Krishna registered his first ODI five-wicket haul with figures of 5/23 against Afghanistan in Chennai, and later attributed his success to the competitive environment shared with top bowlers in the Gujarat Titans (GT) and India setups.
Krishna's career-best spell
The right-arm pacer reduced Afghanistan to 37/4 in the powerplay, dismissing openers and key batters. Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmatullah Shahidi then added a century stand, taking Afghanistan to 218 all out. India chased the target in 28.3 overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring 110* and Rohit Sharma 79.
Credit to team environment
Speaking after the match, Prasidh said, "Honestly, that is really helpful when you have some real good bowlers alongside (Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Ishan Sharma etc in the Gujarat Titans set-up). You keep learning from each other. There is always competition in the net. So that is what keeps you going when you have the right kind of group around you. You always push each other to do better, and I think that has paid off."
Tactical approach
On his bowling tactics, he said, "I think it is just that trying to hit the lengths as a team, whatever we discuss, whatever the tactic is. We just sit and think about the game and what is needed, and it is like homework for me."
Nearly missing the fifth wicket
After taking four wickets in the powerplay, Krishna admitted he wanted to bowl an extra over immediately but reminded himself there was plenty of time left. He eventually returned to claim his fifth scalp. "But then I came back in, and I saw, look, four wickets, five wickets, I am definitely happier with the five, but if I had not got it, I am sure we would still end up on the winning side. So I am happy with that," he added.
Match summary
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi scored 102 off 131 balls, and Azmatullah Omarzai made 50 off 56 balls. For India, Jaiswal's unbeaten 110 and Rohit's 79 powered a 170-run opening stand, and Shreyas Iyer remained 20* as India won with 21.3 overs to spare.
