'I'm trying to bowl every length the team wants' - Prasidh Krishna on meeting India's demands

India seamer Prasidh Krishna removed Lahiru Udara for one run at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, helping India build pressure as they declared their first innings at 503/9 on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka. The hosts closed that evening at 8/2, with debutant Kamil Mishara unbeaten on five.

Krishna, who finished the first Test with three wickets across both innings as India won that match by 165 runs, spoke to reporters after the day's play about his mindset with the ball. He said aggression in bowling is not always visible on the surface.

"Aggression can come out in different ways, and for me it is about what I'm doing when I'm bowling. It's very easy for people to get away or be distracted by what's happening in the pitch. There's too much happening; there's not too much happening, but I think the focus is still to come in and bowl those areas with full effort," Krishna told reporters after Day 2 in Colombo.

India's batting on the second day was anchored by Dhruv Jurel, who remained unbeaten on 115 off 177 balls, while Rishabh Pant contributed 63 off 89 balls after returning to the crease having earlier retired hurt.

How does Krishna decide which length to bowl on different surfaces?

The right-arm pacer explained that his approach to length has shifted significantly since he began representing India at the highest level. Rather than relying on a personal default, he now works through pre-match analysis sessions with coaches and analysts to identify the most productive lengths for each surface.

"Length is something that keeps changing with the pitches that we play on. So we sit with analysts, coaches, and everything and decide on what's the kind of length that we want to be bowling on different surfaces. And yeah, natural length was something that I could say when I was not playing for the country, but when I'm here I need to be bowling every length that the team wants, and I'm trying to do that," Krishna added.

The second Test at Colombo is scheduled to run from August 23 to 27, giving India the opportunity to extend their series lead.

Krishna lauds Jaiswal's stunner

Udara's dismissal was completed by a catch from Yashasvi Jaiswal, which Krishna singled out for special praise. He noted that the pitch had offered some assistance, with the ball stopping slightly off the surface and showing seam movement, but was clear that the fielding effort deserved equal credit.

"I think it was, there's something in the pitch, of course. Maybe stopped a little bit. There was a bit of seam, and I think credit goes to Jaiswal for the catch that he took. It was an exceptional one. We have been putting in some effort on the field in practice, so I think it just paid off. [On the importance of the slip cordon] 100%. I think 50% of the job is bowling the ball there, getting an edge, but 50% is taking it as well, and we have been pretty good at doing that. I think it's also doing the simple things right, which we have been doing well, and that's what shows," the pacer said.

Krishna's remarks underlined a team-first outlook, with the seamer crediting collective preparation and execution rather than individual skill alone for the wicket.