New Delhi: Indian fast bowler Prasidh Krishna is set to fly to New Zealand after getting fitness clearance from the medical team at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
IANS understands that Prasidh was put through match-simulation sessions held on November 1 and 2 and got clearance.
“After getting fit, Prasidh Krishna was to leave for New Zealand late tonight or early tomorrow morning. But he’s already gone from India to reach New Zealand in time,” a source tracking the development told IANS on Tuesday.
Prasidh will now be available to turn out for India A in the third red-ball game against New Zealand A, happening at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln from November 7.
The tall right-arm pacer was kept out of the first three matches of the five-game ODI series against New Zealand, starting in Eden Park, Auckland, on Wednesday, to give his hamstring more time to heal and build up his bowling load for the two Tests that follow.
The clearance to Prasidh, who sustained the hamstring injury while bowling in the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati on September 30, comes as a timely boost for the Indian camp stretched on the fast-bowling front. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire ODI series with an eye to play both Tests in Wellington and Christchurch.
Seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana was ruled out of the series due to a left quadriceps strain and will mark his return via India A games in the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha later this month.
Mohammed Siraj is expected to leave the ODI squad after the first three games to prepare for the two Tests, which will leave a raw attack led by Arshdeep Singh for the last two 50-over games against the Black Caps. Arshdeep has played 18 ODIs, while Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi and Yash Thakur have just the experience of 11 games between them.
A game for India A should give Prasidh useful overs in New Zealand conditions before the Test series begins, which carry plenty of weight for India in the World Test Championship race. India are fourth in the standings behind New Zealand, current champions South Africa and Australia.