Fit-again Prasidh Krishna raring to go

After a long, painstaking rehabilitation programme overseen by the NCA, the Karnataka pacer is back in action and, on Monday, was named in the State Ranji Trophy side for this week's game against Baroda.

Karnataka fast bowler Prasidh Krishna at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.

It is over three months since Prasidh Krishna played a competitive game of cricket. Back in October, the fast bowler limped off during Karnataka's clash with Puducherry in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with what was later diagnosed as a stress fracture of the fibula (a long, thin bone in the lower leg).

It was a frustrating time for the 23-year-old to sit out, with an in-form Karnataka side securing both domestic limited-overs titles. But after a long, painstaking rehabilitation programme overseen by the NCA, Prasidh is now back in action. On Monday, he was named in the State Ranji Trophy side for this week's game against Baroda. He cannot wait to get started.

"I did miss playing with the team," said Prasidh. "It's not easy to sit at home and watch them play. It felt long...three and a half months. It was tough but I also understood that it's the only time I get off cricket. I used that time to get stronger."

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This season, Prasidh was expected to be one of the leaders of Karnataka's bowling attack in the Ranji Trophy, but the injury came as an ill-timed blow. "Everybody gets injured; you need to be mature about it," he said. "Whatever has happened has happened for a reason. So you make use of the time instead of cribbing or feeling sad."

Prasidh now has 10 bowling sessions behind him but he admitted that there was some anxiety about the injury recurring when he first started bowling two weeks ago. "That is why it has taken me so long. I was a bit conservative when I started bowling. It took me at least four to five sessions of bowling to feel that there is nothing in my leg and I can push myself further. I pushed a little more every session. Today, I am bowling almost at full tilt. But until I play a game, I will still have that fact in the back of my mind that I was out for some time," he said.

On Monday morning, Prasidh took part in his first, proper training session with the Karnataka team since the injury. It was clear he had enjoyed himself. "My team-mates have always welcomed me," he said. "They are happy to have me back."