English batters will fare better against Varun Chakaravarthy in 50-over format: Kevin Pietersen
English batters will fare better against Varun Chakaravarthy in 50-over format: Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday termed Varun Chakaravarthy’s inclusion in the Indian squad for three ODIs against England as “a great decision” but backed the visitor to fare better against the right-arm spinner in the longer version.
Chakaravarthy was all over England in the five-T20I series taking 14 wickets in India’s 4-1 series win, following which he has been added to the ODI side with the series starting in Nagpur on Thursday.
“The English batters would be better against him in the one-dayers because they can spend more time. It’s a longer format, not every ball is an event. But I think it is a great decision (to add Chakaravarthy),” the England great told media on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai.
Pietersen termed England’s loss in T20Is as a “disaster”, adding that the series would have been levelled in Pune if a like-for-like concussion substitution for Shivam Dube had been used instead of tearaway quick Harshit Rana.
“It was a disappointing series from England’s perspective. I think that in the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been done correctly, maybe England would have got up there,” he said.
“It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (Stadium for final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn’t happen.”
Pietersen said India star Yuvraj Singh is “rubbing off” on Abhishek Sharma who played the “best T20I innings I’ve ever seen”.
“Abishek is amazing. He had the shades (of Yuvraj)…. Obviously, Yuvraj is rubbing off now on Abishek. His batting was fantastic. It was the best T20 international innings I’ve ever seen and I said that to him afterwards,” Pietersen said.
“It was effortless. The stroke play was great, there was no funky shot, no ramping, no sweeping, reverse sweeping. It was just perfection,” the former England captain wouldn’t stop gushing about the Punjab southpaw’s hitting ability.
