“No one should be surprised…”: Kevin Pietersen's brutal comment on India-New Zealand series result

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen recently took to Twitter to express his concern about the declining quality of batting technique in Test cricket. Pietersen highlighted the change in focus towards an aggressive, boundary-focused game, which he believes has led to a decline in traditional batting skills. “No one should be surprised by the lack of batting application and technique in Test match cricket. Cricket is now a 'smackers' game and there is a disintegration of Test match batting skills in the game. When it comes to playing spin, By the way, spend hours and hours playing against it, there is no quick fix!” Peterson tweeted.

The lack of batting application and technique in Test match cricket should not surprise anyone. Cricket has now become a 'smackers' game and Test match batting skills are being disintegrated in the game.
When it comes to playing spin, the only way, is to spend time playing against…

– Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) 4 November 2024

Pietersen's comments reflect a growing sentiment among cricket purists who are concerned that the emphasis on T20 and limited-overs formats is diluting the art of Test batting. His call for extensive practice against spin underlines the need for batsmen to invest significant time and effort in honing their skills in the longer format of the game.

As cricket continues to evolve, Pietersen's comments are a reminder of the enduring value of traditional techniques and the need for a balanced approach to batting across all formats.

Recently, India suffered a defeat at home against New Zealand (NZ), where they struggled against spin. They lost the series 3–0, suffering heavy defeats in all three games.

Talking about the third Test match, India had lost five wickets for 29 runs while chasing the target of 147 runs. However, a fighting half-century from Rishabh Pant (64 off 57 balls, studded with nine fours and a six) kept India in the game. After his dismissal, India once again fell behind in the game and were bundled out for 121 runs.

Ajaz (6/57) took a memorable six wickets. Furthermore, Phillips (3/42) performed well with the ball, taking timely and important wickets.

Earlier, thanks to five wickets by Jadeja (5/55) and excellent bowling by Ravichandran Ashwin (3/62), the Kiwi team (New Zealand) was bundled out for 174 runs. A fighting half-century from Will Young (51 off 100 balls, with two fours and a six) was the highlight of New Zealand's innings. The Kiwis took a lead of 146 runs over India, who scored 263 runs in their first innings in reply to New Zealand's first innings total of 235 runs.

India had taken a lead of 28 runs over New Zealand in its first innings. At one point, India's score was 84/4, but a 96-run partnership between Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant (60 from 59 balls, with the help of eight fours and two sixes) helped India recover. Gill played a memorable inning of 90 runs in 146 balls with the help of seven fours and one six. An excellent inning from Washington Sundar (38* in 36 balls, with the help of four fours and two sixes) pushed India towards the lead, taking their score to 263.

Ajaz Patel (5/103) was the best bowler for the Kiwi team. Phillips, Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry took one wicket each.

Talking about New Zealand's first innings, the Kiwi team had won the toss and decided to bat first. Although spinners Jadeja (5/65) and Sundar (4/81) continued to dominate, Will Young (71 from 138 balls, with four fours and two sixes) and Daryl Mitchell (82 from 129 balls, with three fours) Se) scored half-centuries. and three sixes) pushed New Zealand to 235 runs. An 87-run partnership between Young and Mitchell helped the Kiwis reach a respectable score.