Last Updated on 12 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

Prasidh Krishna is in doubt for the ODI series against New Zealand as he is yet to get a fitness clearance from the Center of Excellence (CoE). The 30-year-old has been picked on a conditional basis for the first three ODIs, but his participation will be subject to fitness assessment.

Prasidh is set to participate in match simulations on November 1 and 2, as per a Cricbuzz report. The first ODI is on November 4 in Auckland and the timing leaves very little scope for him to prove his fitness before then. India will then play the second and third ODIs on November 7 and 10 respectively.

It is believed that the Indian team management wants Prasidh to be available for the two Test matches against New Zealand. It is probable that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill will focus more on the Tests, especially because India will need to produce strong results to keep alive their hopes of making it to the final of the World Test Championship.

This enabled management to avoid any unnecessary risk with Prasidh during the ODI series. If he clears it, he could be in contention for the third unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A, which is scheduled from November 6 to 9.

CoE is keeping a close watch on Prasidh Krishna’s fitness

Prasidh’s name had a fitness clause attached to it when the BCCI announced the ODI squad on October 16. He has been selected only for the first three matches and missed out on the last two ODIs along with some players who are expected to be focused on the Test series.

No fitness condition is attached to his name in the Test squad. That is a positive sign he will be available for the five-day matches, beginning in Wellington on November 19, followed by the second Test in Christchurch from November 27. The fast bowler has made his mark as an important option in nine Tests so far.

Prasidh had a match simulation on October 22 and is now due for another assessment. The fact that he needs to do another simulation could imply that the CoE did not have enough evidence to clear him in the previous test.

The latest CoE assessment notes, according to sources cited by Cricbuzz in their report says, “Gradual Workload Increase: Skill-specific loading will be ramped up incrementally, with ongoing clinical monitoring. The report further says, “Immediate Priority: The focus is on gradually achieving the required bowling workload ahead of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.”