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The third T20I of the five-match series between India and England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot ended in disappointment for the hosts as they suffered a 26-run defeat. The loss was attributed to an inconsistent batting order, with players not positioned in their natural roles. Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen criticized India’s batting strategy, emphasizing that key batters were ♔not utilized effectively.
Kevin Pietersen slams India’s batting order
Pietersen criticized India’s batting approach, particularly their order adjustments, during the post-match analysis. He expressed the belief that the best batters should bat at the top of the order.
KP cited an example from the Durban Super Giants‘ match in the SA20 2025, where key players like Quinton de Kock and Heinrich Klaasen were batting lower than expected. Similar to that Pietersen pointed out how Dhruv Jurel, a top-order batter, was moved to number 8 in the match for the sake of a left-right batting combination, even though there was little pressure on the lowe💞r-order batters.
“I didn’t like the batting order either. I’m someone who believes your best batters should bat at the top of the order. I was in South Africa last week, and the Durban Super Giants were having an absolute shocker of a tournament. But Quinton de Kock was batting at 3 or 4, and Heinrich Klaasen was batting at 6 or 7. I approached these guys and asked, ‘Why are you doing this?’ You’ve seen the same thing happen here this evening. A guy like Dhruv Jurel, who is a very good and accomplished batter, is being dropped down the order because of the left-hander, right-hander strategy. Hardik is struggling a little, and there wasn’t that much pressure on these batters to come out and score at 10 runs per over,” Pieterson said while speaking on Star Sports.
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Dhruv Jurel’s dismissal further highlights India’s struggles
India’s struggles were evident in the lower order as Jurel, typically a top-order batter, was demoted to number eight. His brief stay at the crease ended when Brydon Carse bowled a full toss, which the 24-year-old attempted to scoop towards the wicketkeeper. Philip Salt took an easy catch and Jurel was dismissed at the score of just 2 runs facing 🉐4 deliveries.
Though despite the defeat, India maintains a 2-1 lead in the series, leaving two matches still to be played. The fourth T20I is scheduled to take place at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday🍌, January 31. While India will aim to bounce back and clinch the series with a victory, England will be determined to level the score and push the series into a decider. With the stakes high, fans can expect another thrilling encounter between the two cricketing giants.
