Twitter
Advertisement

Watch: 5 Kevin Pietersen knocks that prove he was a cricketing genius

Thank you for the memories, KP!

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

Kevin Pietersen announced his retirement from professional cricket in a series of posts on social media on Saturday. The former England batsman decided not to travel with Quetta Gladiators to Lahore for their Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoff.

The former England batsman will go down as one of the true greats of the game. His 10,000-plus Test runs are testament to that. Pietersen was blessed with an unorthodox technique, which made his stunning ball-striking ability all the more attractive.

As the 37-year-old bids adieu to the game, fans will remember the many memorable moments he provided on the field.

Here are five such innings by Pietersen

1. England vs Australia - First Ashes Test, Lord's, 2005

By the time this match came about, Pietersen had already caught the attention of many with some impressive performances in limited overs cricket. But his breakthrough in the longest format of the game made the world sit up and take notice. England had found a big player.

With the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne at their lethal best, Pietersen launched a devastating counter-attack. The legendary Aussie pacer's five-wicket haul on Day 1 had all but sealed the fate of the match, but that didn't deter Pietersen from showing little respect and going after him. The right-hander deposited McGrath and Warne into the Lord's stands with ease. His twin fifties (57 and 64*) served a clear notice of what was to follow.

2.  England vs Australia - Fifth Ashes Test, Oval, 2005

If the first Test of the 2005 Ashes series was a trailer, the fifth game showed the entire picture. Pieteren had well and truly arrived. His legend was born!

With the series delicately poised at 2-1 in favour of the hosts, the Australians were pushing for a win to retain the urn. England were in serious trouble in the second innings at 127/5, with a lead of just 133 runs. That's when Pietersen decided to take matters into his own hands. Brett Lee bowled as fast as anyone ever had, KP whacked him to the fence even harder. His 158 went on to save the match for England and provided his country the much-needed fight against the Aussies.

3. Australia vs England - Second Ashes Test, Adelaide, 2010

Pietersen was the fulcrum of, perhaps, one of England's most cherished triumphs in recent past.

An Ashes series victory in Australia had eluded England for many, many years. After stealing a draw in the opening game of the 2010 essay, the visitors struck first blood in the ensuing contest at Adelaide. The Man of the Match, of course, was Pietersen. His masterful 227 in that match set up an innings win for England, with his side going on to claim the series 3-1.

4. ICC World T20, West Indies, 2010

With the English being the ones who invented the game of cricket, they had long been ridiculed for failing to win a World Cup. Paul Collingwood's men, however, corrected that in 2010 by lifting the ICC World T20 title in West Indies.

However,for England to win a World Cup with that squad, Pietersen needed to fire big time. And oh boy, he did! KP's bludgeoning 73 against Pakistan in the league stage and match-winning 47 in the final earned him the Man of the Tournament trophy.

5. India vs England - Second Test, Mumbai, 2012

For Indian fans, the genius of Pietersen will forever resonate with the memory of his knock at the Wankhede Stadium in 2012.

On a turning track, with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin in the opposition's attack, KP went on to put together a masterpiece. His 186 off 316, with 20 boundaries and four sixes, helped England square the series 1-1.

Up until then the pull shot against South African Dale Steyn was considered the greatest shot KP ever hit. But one particular stroke against Pragyan Ojha in the 2012 Test in Mumbai was right up there too.

With a packed off-side field, and a left-arm spinner bowling from over the wicket and turning the ball away (which was considered by many to be KP's biggest weakness), the right-hander leaned in and hit the most majestic drive over extra cover for six.

“You look at the switch-hits and stuff because it’s fun and it’s adventurous, but just the slowness of my bat speed in that shot was what stands out to me. I look at those two shots – against Steyn and Ojha – and I don’t normally like to talk about my shots – but I do occasionally look at those and go, ‘How the hell did you do that," the legend had famously said.

Pietersen helped Quetta qualify from the group stages in the Twenty20 tournament, but with the event now moving from the UAE to Pakistan, he appears to have opted to bring down the curtain on his controversial playing career.

The 37-year-old batsman hinted at his long-expected retirement with a Tweet which simply read "Boots Up! Thank you" before expanding on his situation on Saturday.

"Someone just tweeted to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty's & 68 hundreds in my pro career," he wrote on Instagram. "4 Ashes wins. Home & away! T20 WC win. Beaten India in India. Home & away 100's in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who have just been the most unreal supporters through thick & thin! I'm super proud of everything! Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game!"

A post on Quetta's Twitter feed read: "You will be missed @KP24 Great career!! Thank you for everything. Wish you could stayed with us till PSL final but we respect your decision."

South Africa-born Pietersen is believed to be ready to move on from cricket as he devotes more time to his conservation work with rhinos. England's second-highest run scorer across all three forms of the game, Pietersen won four Ashes series and hit 8,181 runs in 104 Tests. He has been away from the sport's top level since his England exile started in 2014 when he was a high-profile casualty of an Ashes thrashing in Australia.

The flamboyant Pietersen's attitude on the tour was criticised by some within the England camp. He tried to revive his Test career, hitting an unbeaten 355 for Surrey, but it was not enough to convince the England and Wales Cricket Board to take him back. He embarked on a nomadic T20 career after that, taking in all corners of the globe.

Pietersen, who had a brief and ill-fated spell as England captain, will be best remembered for his sublime innings of 158 in the fifth Test against Australia at The Oval in 2005. That heroic effort ensured England got the draw they needed to finally reclaim the Ashes, with he also produced epic knocks of 227 against Australia in Adelaide in 2010 and a brilliant 186 against India in Mumbai in 2012.

Given his often divisive nature, it was fitting that Michael Vaughan, a former England captain, admitted his old international team-mate was a tremendous talent, even if he wasn't always easy to deal with.

"Well done KP on an fantastic career. Not everyone's Cup of Tea but you will do for me. Best Batsman I had the pleasure to play with. 1st England batsman that put fear into the Aussies," Vaughan tweeted.

(Inputs from PTI)

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement