"When he was hot, he was scorching hot" - Former batter hails Indian pacer after ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former batter Robin Uthappa praised Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna after the recently concluded five-match Test series against England. The visitors leveled the series 2-2 with a thrilling six-run win at The Oval.

Krishna played a key role in India's series-leveling victory. The pacer returned figures of 4/62 in the first innings and backed it up with another four-wicket haul in the second.

Uthappa reckoned that Krishna was hot and cold throughout the series. However, he reflected that when the speedster got it right, he seemed unplayable and too good a bowler.

"Prasidh is someone who I thought was hot and cold. But when he was hot, he was scorching hot. I think he was feeling the pressure as well. I know him, he is a very intelligent bowler and likes to take ownership of his bowling. When he was hitting the right areas, he is such a good bowler. To see that at crucial stages in the Test says a lot about him and his mindset," he said on his YouTube channel. (26:19)

The former batter remarked that Krishna tried to do too much at times. While he tried to get the better of the batters, his tactics went against him at times. The pacer proved to be expensive in the initial games and was dropped as well. He made a comeback and delivered at The Oval.

"He has always believed that he is a really good bowler. He's always tried to outsmart the batter with bluffs and double bluffs for that matter. But sometimes he outdoes himself in the process of trying to outdo the batter," Uthappa added. (30:05)

Krishna ended among India's key performers in the series. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker along with Jasprit Bumrah. The pacer bagged 14 scalps from three Tests at an average of 37.07.

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Robin Uthappa recalls how Indian quick Mohammed Siraj once impressed him during a domestic match

Robin Uthappa also lauded Indian star Mohammed Siraj. Siraj bagged nine wickets at The Oval that included a fifer in the second innings. He was awarded the 'Player of the Match'.

Uthappa recalled an experience of facing Siraj in a Vijay Hazare trophy match in 2020/21 in Bangalore. He expressed how the pacer was lethal with the new ball in the one-day format and imagined how good he would be in the longer format.

"He is such a skillful bowler. I remember we played one game against Hyderabad. Maybe 2020/21, Vijay Hazare we were playing. He was bowling in Bangalore. Fresh wicket, nice green top. He bowled a five-over spell with the new ball. I thought I have to just see him off. I'm not going to try and score runs against this guy. If we see him off, then we can score," he said. (32:49) "Siraj was getting the ball to sing. This guy was doing it here with the white-ball. Imagine with the red ball shining on a helping track. He is so good," he added.

In Bumrah's absence, who played only three out of the five Tests to manage his workload, Siraj stood up as the leader of the attack for India. He ended as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 scalps at an average of 32.43, which included two fifers.

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Edited by Rishab Vm