Kevin Pietersen criticizes India’s inability to tackle New Zealand’s spin attack, suggesting rigorous practice as a solution.
Kevin Pietersen on India’s Struggle Against Spin in New Zealand Series
Following India’s recent Test series loss to New Zealand, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen offered candid advice to Indian batters.
Pietersen, known for his expertise in handling spin, wasn’t surprised by India’s struggles to tackle New Zealand’s spinners, particularly Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, and Glenn Phillips.
The three-Test series, marked by India’s repeated batting collapses, ended with a clean sweep in favour of New Zealand, and highlighted India’s ongoing issues against quality spin.
In the final Test at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, India faced a modest target of 147 but failed to chase it down.
While Rishabh Pant was the only batter who showed some resilience throughout the series, no other Indian batter managed to score over 200 runs.
Pietersen expressed his disappointment on social media, attributing the poor performance to a lack of solid Test match batting skills.
“No one should be surprised by the lack of batting application and technique in Test Match cricket,” Pietersen stated, adding, “Cricket is a ‘smackers’ game now, and Test Match batting skills are disintegrating.”
“When it comes to playing spin, the only way, spend time playing against it for hours and hours and hours. There’s no quick remedy!”
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Importance of Practice for Spin Mastery
Pietersen emphasised that there’s no quick remedy for tackling spin effectively. He advised Indian batters to spend hours practising against spin if they are serious about improving.
Reflecting on his own success on Indian pitches, Pietersen pointed out that the key to handling spin is time and dedication, not shortcuts.
With his record of 703 runs across nine Tests in India, Pietersen serves as a credible voice on the subject, and his advice holds weight for Indian players keen to compete at the highest level.
Impact on India’s WTC Final Chances
India’s Test series loss has also impacted their World Test Championship (WTC) standings, pushing them down to second place.
With Australia now leading the WTC table, India will need four wins out of five in their upcoming series against Australia, beginning November 22 in Perth, to secure a spot in the final.
Pietersen’s words come as a reminder that to stay competitive, India must refine their Test batting, especially against spin-heavy teams.
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