Former England captain Kevin Pietersen criticised the batting approach of both India and England in the recently concluded third Test between the two sides in Ahmedabad. The former English is of the opinion that the pink ball, day-night encounter would have gone into day three or four if batting line-ups of both sides performed better.
Pietersen’s words come after the third Test ended within two days and with it equalled the record of the shortest Test match (in terms of days). It was the shortest completed Test match in 86 years. Many questions were raised on both the quality of the wicket and the players’, as many fans of the long format of the game were unhappy with the short duration.
The pink ball Test also witnessed a total of 140.2 overs inlittle more than five sessions with both sides failing to cross 150 even once.
Pietersen took to Instagram and in a video post slammed the ‘dreadful’ batting from both sides.
Watch it here:
A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24)
In the video clip, he said that the batting displayed by both teams was dreadful. He thinks that if players were ‘honest with themselves’, they will admit about the same. He also pointed out that 21 of the 30 dismissals came from straight deliveries in the pink ball Test. Adding his bit about the pitch at the newly reconstructed cricketing venue, he said, “There was nothing dangerous with the wicket,” however, the match was bereft of “better batting,”he added. He was also of the opinion that with better batting the game would’ve gone to “day three and maybe day four.”
Pietersen’s outrage seems justified, as the visitors, despite having won the toss and opted to bat, were bundled out for just 112 on day one. The hosts went to bat on Wednesday, with Rohit Sharma providing a good start with a fifty. But they too soon faltered as they went from 99 for three to all out at 145 on day two.
Even though England skipper Joe Root didn’t replicate his heroics with the bat, he was the unlikely hero for his side by picking up five wickets to bring them back in the game. However, they couldn’t manage to bring themselves around in the second innings, after being bundled out at just 81 runs and settinga target of a paltry 49 runs for the hosts to chase. India scored it in just 7.4 overs to register a 10-wicket win and go 2-1 in the series.
Both teams will square off at the same venue for the fourth and final Test of the series, starting March 4.
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