The upcoming five-match Test series between India and England is set to commence on January 25, 2024 which promises to be a thrilling encounter. The last victory in a Test series on Indian soil for England came in 2012, with outstanding performances from Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen. India, with a strong home record in Test cricket and impressive recent performances, is just behind Australia, the defending champions, in the WTC rankings. Their aim is to surpass Australia following their series against England.
Kevin Pietersen played a pivotal role in England's 2012 success, especially with his remarkable 186 in Mumbai on a spinning Wankhede pitch, leading to a series-clinching win in the second Test. This victory, aided by captain Alastair Cook, marked England's triumph in India, a feat not repeated by any team in India in the subsequent twelve years in Test cricket.
In a discussion with ex-England captain Michael Atherton for The Times, Pietersen shared insights on countering Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling during that series. He also offered advice to Ben Stokes and his team on handling spinners in India. Pietersen is recognized as one of the finest players of spin among the SENA countries, joining the ranks of Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root.
In his remarkable innings of 186 in Mumbai, Kevin Pietersen successfully targeted Ravichandran Ashwin, particularly focusing on the off side and over it. He attributed this strategy to his ability to pick Ashwin's 'doosra'. For the upcoming five-match Test series against England, India has selected a quartet of spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav.
“I picked Ashwin’s ‘doosra’. He used to load the ball at the back of his run-up, and I think he still does that now. He never ran up with the ball in his hand as an off-spinner and changed it late for the doosra; you can’t do that. He loaded it up early,” said Pietersen.
“I was 100 percent confident when he was going to bowl it and you’d see how many times I hit him over the off side. I’d see the doosra at the back of his mark and, because he had a stacked leg-side field because the ball was turning so much, I’d think ‘four or six,’” he added.
Apart from Ravichandran Ashwin, the left-arm finger spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel pose a similar level of threat to the English batsmen. Kevin Pietersen emphasizes that when facing Ravindra Jadeja, a batsman's technique is crucial.
“I faced Jadeja a lot. It’s about technique. Jadeja is not Murali and he’s not Shane Warne. He’s a left-arm spinner who bowls it one way and occasionally gets the ball to slide on. If your technique is solid enough to play the ball that skids on, you should be fine,” England batting legend further added.
Kevin Pietersen has counseled England's batsmen to avoid getting lbw or bowled against the left-arm spin pair of Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja. During England's last tour to India in 2021, Axar Patel emerged as the second most successful bowler for India, claiming 27 wickets in only three matches. He achieved an impressive average of 10.59, including four instances of taking five wickets in a match throughout the series.
“If your feet are good, and you are not planting your front foot and you are playing down the line of the ball, you should be fine. Just make sure you are not getting bowled or lbw. If you nick it to slip, no problem at all. If you get bowled or lbw that’s a big issue. You have so much time to wait for the ball and then judge length or line and then move,” Pietersen concluded.
As England gear up to emulate their 2012 success in Indian conditions, they are keen to showcase their 'Bazball' approach. Nonetheless, this aggressive style may struggle on India's sharply turning pitches, where the hosts are likely to capitalize on the spin-friendly surfaces to overpower England's batting lineup. England has fortified their squad with four spinners: Jack Leach, Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed, complemented by Joe Root, who can also contribute a few overs of spin.
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