The Indian management’s opportunity to pitch a group of peripheral bowlers in the ODI series against Afghanistan was more accidental than intentional, and their audition has given the think tank hope for developing a capable support line for senior pros.
India entered the three-match series with Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, and Harsh Dubey because of fatigue-induced unavailability of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, and Axar Patel following a demanding IPL season.
As was to be expected from debutants, the troika had their share of inconsistent moments, but the potential they offered in the series was too clear to ignore.
Out of all of them, Brar was the most impressive, taking seven wickets with a quick pace and steep bounce. At Lucknow and Dharamsala, Yadav and Dubey were competitive on flat tracks.
The point was not missed by India captain Shubman Gill.
“I think great and encouraging signs for Indian cricket that we can keep grooming fast bowlers who can bowl at that pace consistently. I think now we have a good bunch of fast bowlers who can bowl 140-plus, are tall, can hit those areas and can still create opportunities with the old ball when there is nothing much offered from the wicket or from the conditions,” PTI quoted Gill as saying in the post-match press conference.
Their situational awareness and ability to follow team tactics also impressed the Indian captain.
“I think it’s about assessing the wicket. There are different lengths on different wickets that hit the top of the stump. On a wicket like this (red-soil pitch at Chepauk), maybe you have to be a little bit further.”
“When you are playing on a black soil (pitch), you have to be a little bit more towards the length side. So as a bowling unit, the work that we are trying to do is trying to assess as early as possible how consistently you can hit that top of the stump area because that is the most difficult ball to hit,” he said.
For Gill’s view, Prasidh Krishna provided the most illuminating example. The Karnataka pacer, who is accustomed to bowling the hard lengths, did a good job of assessing the circumstances in Chennai and chose a length that was fuller and closer to the stumps.
After the Afghan batters gave in to the desire to drive, he was rewarded with four wickets in the first ten overs, three of which were catches at first slip. Brar, on the other hand, rattled the batter by hitting Ibrahim Zadran on the helmet and tormenting the Afghans with cutting snarls. Gill recognized Brar’s diversity in this Indian attack.
“Obviously, keep using those bouncers because that gives us the opportunity (to take wickets), it gives us the batter the opportunity to score as well but it gives us the opportunity to take those wickets and keep giving those chances,” he said.
However, nothing was more enjoyable than witnessing Prasidh take home the Player of the Match trophy for his five-wicket haul.
“We all saw the kind of ability that he has, if he can hit those areas, the kind of opportunities that he can create for us as a bowler and if he can keep doing that, you know, that would be good for us.”
Gill, who is Prasidh’s captain at Gujarat Titans, counseled him to keep his game plans “flexible.”
“It’s about being flexible, there is not a certain role, he is going to bowl with the new ball as well. So, we are seeing different kinds of combinations and we encourage bowlers to whether they are bowling with the new ball or with the first change, they have to go all out.”
In contrast to IPL 2026, when he typically bowled in the middle overs with an older ball, Prasidh was called upon to use the new ball upfront in this instance.
“We spoke about giving short spells to bowlers, especially bowlers like Prasidh or Brar, give them 3-4 overs, tell them to bowl their heart out, bowl as fast as they can.”
Prasidh and Brar’s performances may have given India a boost as they travel to South Africa for the 2027 ODI World Cup, where they will require bowlers who can hit the deck hard.
“It’s about the combination and the kind of bowlers that we are trying to play. We are trying to create as many opportunities as we can. Playing Brar, someone like a Prasidh, even a Harshit, tall, fast bowlers, they offer a little bit more to us.”
“As well as someone like Nitish Reddy, it’s important to give him that many overs in the middle. Even if we know that we have got maybe better bowlers for that condition. But it’s important for us, for players like that, to have some confidence going into the World Cup (2027),” said Gill.
