NEW DELHI: Prasidh Krishna replied to his critics in style during the first innings of the third ODI against South Africa in Vishakhapatnam.

The young pacer claimed four crucial wickets, including key scalps of Matthew Breetzky and Quinton de Kock, two of the most experienced South African batters, helping India gain an early advantage.

Ravichandran Ashwin praises Prasidh

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took to social media to commend Prasidh’s performance. Breaking down his thoughts, Ashwin said on X:

"Prasidh showing the quality he possesses, it’s always easy to write people off when they have bad days, but given a good run, quality will always shine through."

He also added advice on consistency and development:

"Once he gets a better understanding of his awareness, run up tempo and triggers, he will start delivering more consistently at this level."

Prasidh finished with figures of 9.5 overs, 66 runs and 4 wickets, 4 maidens underlining his ability to strike at crucial moments. His combination of pace, bounce and accuracy made life difficult for the South African batters.

Ashwin also highlighted Kuldeep Yadav’s role in building pressure and supporting the attack, describing him as “excellent too.” The duo’s combined efforts restricted South Africa to 270, a below-par total that gives India a solid platform in the chase.

The performance was especially significant given Prasidh’s struggles in the previous two ODIs, where he faced criticism on social media for expensive spells.