Cricket News Today – Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen shared his thoughts on the wickets India is likely to prepare for the upcoming Test series between IND Vs ENG, suggesting that the BCCI won’t shy away from creating pitches that favor spin.
Scheduled to span two months and conclude in March, the five-match Test series is set to kick off on January 25th in Hyderabad at the Uppal Stadium.
As the series approaches, much discussion revolves around the nature of the pitches that will be prepared. There are indications that the BCCI might opt for rank turners to give their team an advantage.
The England team is undoubtedly hoping for a better batting performance compared to their previous tour of India, where they struggled against the Indian spinners and faced challenges with the bat.
It wouldn’t be surprising if India opts for pitches that offer turn right from Day 1, considering that visiting teams have encountered difficulties in Indian conditions in recent years. Even Australian batters faced challenges against Indian spinners in the previous Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which India secured with a 3-1 victory. Notably, England stands out as the only team to have defeated the Rohit Sharma-led side in their home conditions, accomplishing this during the 2012 tour when Alastair Cook was the captain.
Kevin Pietersen played a significant role in the series, showcasing his best form in the second Test held in Mumbai, where he crafted an impressive innings of 186 runs from 233 balls. Under the captaincy of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, who have yet to experience a series loss, the England team is keen to emulate their successful performance from the 2012 tour.
Kevin Pietersen suggests that India will not hesitate to create pitches favoring spin for the Tests against England – Cricket News Today – IND Vs ENG
However, Kevin Pietersen is uncertain about whether England spinners can perform well in the series. According to him, spin will play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the series. In his column for the Times, the former England cricketer openly expressed that India, especially after the pitches they encountered in South Africa, will not hesitate to prepare rank turners. Pietersen wrote:
“The key question is, can England’s spinners deliver? That will be the deciding factor in the series. Spin is going to be the dominant force. I recently played in Vizag [Visakhapatnam], and even in a T20 game, the ball spun and bounced!” -Cricket News Today
“Considering the events in Cape Town recently [where India won on a pitch favoring fast bowlers that was criticized as poor], India won’t shy away from preparing a spinning track, challenging England by saying, ‘Let’s see what you’ve got.” – Cricket News Today
Throughout the South Africa tour, the pitches heavily favored seamers, with the Cape Town pitch receiving an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating from the ICC as the match concluded within two days.
Following this, Indian captain Rohit Sharma criticized the complaints about turning pitches in India, suggesting that one should not complain when the surfaces start offering turn right from the first day. His remarks could be seen as a hint regarding the type of pitches India might be preparing for the upcoming Tests against England.
Read More: Navigating Pitch Controversies: Rohit Sharma Advocates Consistency and Impartiality in ICC Pitch Ratings for Global Cricket
Pingback: Harry Brook Leaves India Tour: Nasser Hussain Responds - Cricket Info