- published: 17 Dec 2012
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Bapu Krishnarao Venkatesh Prasad (Kannada: ಬಾಪು ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾವ್ ವೆಂಕಟೇಶ್ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್) pronunciation (help·info) (born 5 August 1969 in Bangalore, Karnataka) is a former Indian cricketer. He is the bowling coach for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, having formerly performed the same role for the Indian cricket team from 2007 to 2009. He made his debut in 1996. Primarily a right-arm medium-fast bowler, Prasad was noted for his bowling combination with Javagal Srinath.
Prasad took 96 wickets from 33 Tests at an average of 35, and 196 wickets from 161 ODIs at an average of 32.3. Prasad was more effective on wickets that helped seam bowling even though his best Test bowling figures of 6 for 33, achieved against Pakistan in the 1999 Test series in India, came on a docile pitch in Chennai; these figures included a spell of bowling in which he took 5 wickets for 0 runs. Notably, he once took 10 wickets in a Test match in Durban, South Africa, in December 1996. It remains his only ten wicket haul in Test cricket. Prasad also took five wicket hauls in England, in 1996, in Sri Lanka, in 2001, and in the West Indies, in 1997. Prasad played his final Test match in Sri Lanka in 2001. One of his finest moments came in 1996 Cricket World Cup when after being hit for a boundary and openly sledged by Pakistan batsman Aamir Sohail, Prasad clean bowled Sohail the very next ball, (which many consider the turning point of the match).