Former England captain Kevin Pietersen dissected India's painful 30-run defeat to South Africa in the first Test at Eden Gardens. While offering an explanation for India’s shocking loss, he argued that the collapse was less a failure of specific batting execution and more a symptom of how the modern game has eroded classic Test technique. Soon after India were bowled out for 93 while chasing 124, Pietersen took to X (formerly Twitter) to suggest that India’s downfall reflected a deeper shift in cricket's priorities, one that now rewards power-hitting far more than the traditional virtues of patience or survival.
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Kevin Pietersen dissects India's batting fiasco in 1st Test vs SA
Pietersen elaborated on his view, writing that the low scores, the turning surface, and the frantic finish of the Kolkata Test send a clear message. He suggested that today's batters are simply not groomed to grind through challenging, turning tracks in a high-pressure fourth innings scenario. Instead, they grow up constantly rehearsing big, attacking shots rather than perfecting the defensive techniques required to survive such collapses, making a result like the one witnessed in Kolkata almost inevitable under pressure.
“Seeing the wicket first and then the scores and then the result in Kolkata, it can only be put down to batters’ modern-day techniques...Batters grow up now to hit sixes and play switch-hits. They don’t grow up to build an innings and learn the art of survival," Pietersen wrote on X.
The player is not to blame at all: Kevin Pietersen
Pietersen firmly stressed that the players themselves are not to blame for this shift in technique, arguing that they are simply products of the system they now operate within. He stated, “The player is not to blame at all. The priority right now in the game isn’t about survival or the art of playing a spinning ball.” Pietersen contended that the focus has dramatically shifted, noting, “The game of cricket is now about bright lights, loud music and a financial return for cricket boards, private equity and private ownership.”
Pietersen further called money the "elephant in the room," asserting that financial incentives and priorities shape the modern batting mindset just as much as traditional coaching does.
"The elephant in the room is it won’t be mentioned cos you just can’t talk about money. But, I will, as it is real. I wish more power to the players to make as much $$$$ as they can, whilst they can. You’re just doing what decision makers are doing but you’re just not allowed to talk about it! Keep hitting sixes and switch-hits and growing your bank accounts, dudes!," Pietersen's post further read.