India’s tour of England is getting worse by the moment for Prasidh Krishna. The pacer had recorded the worst economic figures by an Indian bowler in a Test innings at Headingley, going for 128 runs in 20 overs. That was bad enough. But Prasidh has outdone that horror performance at Edgbaston.
Prasidh Krishna’s Edgbaston nightmare
After bowling just 8 overs, Prasidh’s economy rate is 7.60. For comparison, his economy in the entire IPL 2025 season was 8.27. This included a thrashing from Jamie Smith, who scored 23 runs from the 32nd over. The wicketkeeper faced just 19 balls from Prasidh and scored 38 runs.
As we stand, Prasidh has the worst economy of any bowler in Test cricket history. The 29-year-old has bowled 588 balls in his red-ball career and has hit for 518 runs. That’s an economy of 5.28. In the ongoing India vs England Test series, his economy is 6.53, while the next worst is Shardul Thakur at 5.56. The difference is that Prasidh has bowled 27 more overs.
The issues remained the same at Edgbaston as they were in Headingley. Prasidh was unable to bowl consistently at one line or length. He brought out the short-ball ploy after bowling two overs. But the bouncers weren’t aimed at Smith’s head. Most of them were in and around chest height.
After that 23-run over, Prasidh persisted with the tactic. He had gotten Smith and Harry Brook in the same manner before, so the tactic was worth trying. The issue was execution. In the end, he went for 50 runs in his 5-over spell. Not what you got from your third pacer.
Worst bowling economy in Test cricket (minimum 500 balls)
| Bowler | Inns | Balls | Econ | Wkts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prasidh Krishna (India) | 8 | 588 | 5.28 | 13 |
| Varun Aaran (India) | 14 | 1189 | 4.77 | 18 |
| Zahir Khan (Afghanistan) | 10 | 900 | 4.66 | 15 |
| Aamer Jamal (Pakistan) | 11 | 893 | 4.63 | 21 |
| Nahid Rana (Bangladesh) | 15 | 1332 | 4.59 | 24 |
