Going by stats, there have been only three successful fourth-innings run chases of 150-plus at the SCG in the past 25 years, and India’s overall lead of 145 on this treacherous surface could be worth at least twice its face value.
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“As many runs as possible would be great for us because we don’t really know what the wicket is behaving like. It’s going up, it’s going down. If you can be aggressive, there is risk involved, but you get a reward of runs. But yeah, there’s no particular number in mind, but then as many runs as we score would be great,” Prasidh said at the end of the day’s play.
“Actually it is getting difficult in some areas. The ball is keeping low sometimes, but there is enough bounce for us to be in the game and look for those edges and try and beat them on either side of the bat,” he aded.
The 28-year-old claimed three crucial wickets and stepped up as a key figure in the Indian attack, especially after pace spearhead and stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah was forced off the field due to injury concerns. The exceptional bowling performance helped India seize a slim four-run lead after bowling out the hosts for 181 in response to their first innings total of 185.
“The team is really pumped up. You could see the way that we were going after, even when we were bowling, the way that we were moving between overs. I think we’re really confident about the plans that we have in mind and the skill set that we have. So, we are really here for a fight and we make sure we get it our way this game,” Prasidh said.
Prasidh credited his impressive performance in his first match of the series to the valuable experience gained while playing for India A and his domestic team, along with the guidance and support from the coaching staff.
“I was here playing the India A games. I did get a bit of confidence bowling in Australia and having played some red ball cricket previously in the Duleep Trophy, I was in good rhythm, I was running in well and to have seen the way the bowlers have bowled in the last four innings, four games that we played, I did learn a lot.
“And then when I got the ball in hand, obviously there was a bit of nerves when I started off. The first over went well, the next few didn’t go really well. But then I have enough people in the team who I can actually go to sit down and discuss what went wrong, what could be better. And we have put in a lot of work. Morne (bowling coach Morne Morkel) and myself, we kind of have a lot of discussions about what has to be done and things are going well for now,” he said.
The right-arm quick was also effusive in his praise for teammate and stumper Rishabh Pant, who blazing innings fired it up for India in their second innings. Pant’s explosive 33-ball 61 consisted of six fours and four sixes, including taking on Boland for a six off his very first ball at the crease.
“All of us were sitting together, the bowlers were sitting together and watching him bat and we definitely said if I was sitting at home and watching this, I would have loved it. To be able to do it from the ground, I mean, nothing like it. I know it’s a lot of risk, but that’s the way the game is played today,” he said.