India’s resounding victory in the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati on Wednesday may have come at some cost. Prasidh Krishna, the team’s leading bowler in the series so far, looks in danger of missing out on some games, starting with the third ODI itself, to be played in Chandigarh on Saturday (October 3).
Prasidh, who bowled only five overs in Guwahati before walking off the field, has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury. Sources say the exact extent of the injury is not yet clear, but the immediate assessment does not appear particularly reassuring. He could be sidelined for longer than initially thought, starting with the current series.
In the high-scoring batter-dominated second ODI, Prasidh claimed one wicket for 45 in five overs. Opening the attack, he bowled four overs initially. He returned for the 31st over for the second spell but it lasted for only one over and did not bowl again. Naman Dhir bowled 6.1 overs, making up for the absence of Prasidh, although he too had earlier walked off the field with what batting coach Sitanshu Kotak described as a cramp.
The Indian team is set to fly out of Guwahati at 12.45pm on Thursday, but Prasidh will instead fly to Bengaluru and report to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, where further course of action over his injury will be determined.
After the match, Kotak said the pacer was down with a hamstring concern and that he was being monitored. “They probably will scan him tomorrow,” he said. However, the immediate news is that he may be out of the series and beyond too. How many matches he will be out for is not known yet, but the signs are not encouraging.
Since Prasidh is not part of the five-match T20I series that follows the ODIs, he has some time to recover. But the bigger question is whether he will be available for the away series against New Zealand, which begins with the T20Is on October 22. With a limited recovery window, there is a possibility that he could miss a part of the New Zealand series.
Prasidh’s absence could pave the way for Mohammed Siraj to feature in the final ODI in Chandigarh. Siraj’s omission in the first two games has courted plenty of discourse, but it remains to be seen who the team management picks between him and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was left out in Guwahati.