Fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna has been withdrawn from the India A-Australia A four-day match in Lucknow after a blow to the helmet, with fellow seamer Yash Thakur taking his place under concussion-sub rules.
The incident came midway through day two. In the 39th over of India A’s reply, Henry Thornton dug in a short ball, Krishna shaped to pull, and the delivery glanced off the grille. Medical staff carried out the obligatory on-field assessment and, at first, the 29-year-old continued. Three overs later he walked off, clearly uncomfortable, and Mohammed Siraj completed the over. When India A’s eighth wicket fell, No.11 Gurnoor Brar joined Sai Sudharsan; once Sudharsan departed, Thakur entered, formally replacing Krishna in the XI.
India A were bowled out for 194, well adrift of Australia A’s 420, before striking back to have the visitors 16 for 3 by stumps. Match situation aside, attention quickly shifted to Krishna’s fitness. No formal diagnosis has been released, though initial signs suggested mild concussion rather than structural damage.
Wednesday’s selectors’ meeting adds extra interest. A two-Test trip to the West Indies begins on 2 October and Krishna, earmarked as back-up to Jasprit Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep, had been widely tipped for inclusion. He impressed in England earlier this summer, claiming 14 wickets in three Tests despite occasionally erratic control, and this A-series was intended as a tune-up after six weeks’ rest.
Coach Sitanshu Kotak kept his comments brief. “Player welfare comes first. We followed the protocols and will monitor him overnight.” An Australia A spokesperson echoed that sentiment, calling the replacement “the correct and timely decision”.
Krishna’s recent workload has been light: 21 wicketless overs for 90 in the first match, 1 for 76 from 17 in the current game. Even so, his high-release action and ability to extract bounce continue to interest the national panel, particularly for Caribbean surfaces that offer carry with the new ball.
Concussion substitutes, introduced into first-class cricket in 2019, allow a like-for-like player to finish the match provided medical staff rule the original participant unfit. Thakur, a skiddy right-armer from Vidarbha, fulfils that brief.
India’s medical team will reassess Krishna on Thursday. If symptoms ease quickly he could still travel, yet the selectors must decide whether to gamble on a fast bowler short on overs and fresh from a head knock.
