India bowling coach Morne Morkel has thrown his weight behind Prasidh Krishna, revealing the pressure the pacer has had to negotiate amid criticism from the media and commentators while explaining why some of his expensive spells have come while performing what he termed the team’s difficult “donkey job”. Prasidh was India’s leading fast bowler on Day 3 of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo, returning 3/47 from 14 overs. Sri Lanka ended the rain-affected day on 265/8, still 238 runs behind India’s first-innings 503/9 declared.
For Morkel, however, the significance of Prasidh’s performance went beyond the wickets. The former South Africa pacer believes the biggest development has been in the 30-year-old’s ability to shut out the scrutiny surrounding him and concentrate on his cricket.
“Just shows the character of Prasidh, you know, a guy who had the media on his back, he had the commentators on his back to fight through that. And in the way he’s bowling at the moment, for me, it’s very impressive,” Morkel said after the day’s play. “As a team and as management, we always knew about the potential. I think as soon as you get into this environment, you want to impress, you know, a billion cricket fans. You’re under the microscope. Every movement gets analysed. And, you know, sometimes you try and fight against those elements.”
Morkel said Prasidh has learnt to detach himself from those outside opinions, something the bowling coach believes is now being reflected in his performances. “But I think Prasidh, for me, the biggest change is just he let go of all those thoughts, all those comments that are made on him, and he’s just enjoying his cricket and loves bowling. And I think, you know, there’s a result showing for itself. He’s an extremely hard worker. He’s a guy who will do a lot of homework going into games, doing a lot of research on the opposition. So for me, he’s a massive student of the game, and it is just great to see him grow and develop into a world-class bowler. I think for India, in all formats, he’s got the potential and the talent to play for a very long time.”
Morkel explains Prasidh’s ‘donkey job’
Prasidh’s tendency to concede runs has often attracted criticism, particularly during India’s 2025 Test tour of England. But Morkel offered an important explanation for those numbers, saying the team has deliberately used Prasidh as an attacking option in phases when conditions are offering little assistance.
“A lot of the time, as a captain, as a coach, it’s our decision to try to create something. If there’s not much with the ball or not much happening on the surface, I think as a world-class bowler, it’s very important to always try and create something,” Morkel said. “Prasidh, he’s got that extra pace, he’s got that bounce for us. We’re going to use him in certain phases where it might be risky, but we might get the reward as well.”
Morkel also acknowledged that the management had to take responsibility for some of the difficult situations Prasidh found himself in during the England series, where he claimed 14 wickets before finishing the tour with an eight-wicket haul in the fifth Test at The Oval.
“It is tough on him. There was a lot of times, I think back in England, where we had to put our hand up because we were asking a boy to do a certain job,” Morkel said. “I think the most important thing is that Prasidh is back in that changing room. Although the results sometimes might not go his way, the whole team at the end of the day is behind him and supporting him. I think that’s all that matters, how we get around him and we support him and pick him up.”
Morkel said those conversations continue away from the ground, with the coaching staff trying to provide Prasidh clarity over precisely what India require from him. “From there, it’s my job when we move away and we sit in a hotel to talk through those things and answer the questions that he might have and things that are on his mind. We give him clarity and confidence going into that. It is sometimes a tough job, the donkey job, but I think he’s done a great job.”
The bowling coach believes those demanding assignments have ultimately helped expand Prasidh’s repertoire. Alongside the extra pace and bounce that have always made him unusual among India’s quicks, Morkel has seen a notable improvement in his ability to attack from a fuller length. “He’s done that very well for us in the last two or three years. With that, his game has grown now into the bowler that he can hit that fuller length much more consistently, which is great to see.”
