Sydney: India's overall lead is not even close to the 200-run mark but pacer Prasidh Krishna says the unpredictable nature of the SCG track will keep them in the hunt since batting won't be easy for Australia in the fourth innings because of the variable bounce.
India ended the second day at 141 for six for an overall lead of 145. A win in the Sydney Test will ensure that India retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
"It is getting difficult in some areas. The ball is keeping low sometimes but there is enough bounce for us to be in the game and look for those edges. Try and beat them on either side of the bat," Prasidh said during the media interaction.
He didn't put a number on what would be a defendable total for the visitors.
"There is no particular number in mind but then as many runs as we score would be great. We are ready to bowl them out for whatever," the Karnataka speedster, who got the prized scalp of Steve Smith in the first innings, said.
Prasidh got Smith at the stroke of lunch but during his spell in the first session, he was guilty of missing his length. He either went too full or too short.
"The difference was when I got back from lunch, I actually looked at where I was bowling. I sat with the analyst and we had a better idea of what my reference point is. When I came in to bowl next, that really helped."
Prasidh came to Australia at least three weeks earlier compared to the senior team and played in the India A games. He looked good at MCG against Australia A.
"I did get a bit of confidence bowling in Australia and having played some red ball cricket previously in the Dulip Trophy I was in good rhythm.
"When I got the ball in hand, obviously there was a bit of nerves when I started off, the first over went well, the next few didn't go really well. But then I have enough people in the team who I can actually go to sit down and discuss what went wrong, what could have been better."
Prasidh thanked bowling coach Morne Morkel for helping him with his bowling plans.
"Morne and myself, we kind of have a lot of discussions about what has to be done and things are going well for now."
The last Test that he played was in Cape Town in January 2024 and it has been a ride fraught with ups and downs for the lanky speedster, who had to undergo a back surgery in New Zealand.
Asked what changes he has brought in his bowling, he spoke about the mental shift from opening the bowling with Red SG Test for Karnataka and then coming one change for the national team where he got a semi-old Kookaburra with suppressed seam.
"That was a really good learning curve for me because every time I played for my state I was bowling with a new ball, coming here having to bowl one change, I looked at what everybody in the world does when they are bowling one change.
"It was about try and give control to the team, have as much control and be consistent in the lines and the lengths that you are bowling. So I think that is the mental shift that I made and obviously I had to put in some work to try and get myself to that point."�