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Jonathan Agnew column

By Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent in Bangalore

Kevin Pietersen trudges off after being dismissed
Only the day before, England were stressing that it was a positive step to get Pietersen in earlier - so why the change?

Jonathan Agnew

Kevin Pietersen was right to suggest that the Duckworth/Lewis system did his team few favours in the fourth match of the one-day series at Bangalore.

Not only did India have 17 overs of Powerplay compared to England's eight, but Pietersen was also unable to bowl Andrew Flintoff or Stuart Broad at the end of India's innings as 60 runs were plundered in only five overs.

It was not used as an excuse, but merely recognition that interruptions for bad weather always create problems and nothing that has ever been tried - including the internationally-recognised Duckworth/Lewis - has been perfect.

I was disappointed that England did not try something different as they chased their large target. I hoped that Pietersen or maybe Andrew Flintoff would open the batting in order to make the Indians rethink their strategy.

There is also the argument that there would have been an opportunity for one of those hitters to get their eye in before cutting loose, rather than watching Ian Bell fiddle about as only 21 runs were scored from the first six overs.

And why did Pietersen not bat at number three? The batting order was changed in the previous match with Owais Shah returning to six, and Pietersen moving up from number four.

Only the day before this match, the England camp was stressing that it was a positive step to get Pietersen in earlier - so why the change last night?

606: DEBATE
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Ultimately Shah produced some terrific hitting after a sluggish start and it was always unlikely that England would score 198, but it sent a rather confused message to the extent that we really do not know what they will do in Cuttack on Wednesday.

One thing we can be pretty sure of is that, given enough fit players, James Anderson will have to make way for Steve Harmison. Anderson has always been disappointingly inconsistent and does not have the steely confidence that gets Stuart Broad through a difficult contest.

He has been very wayward in this series and while no one would relish bowling at either Virender Sehwag or Yuvraj Singh at the moment, Anderson should be able to call on his experience of 101 ODIs to get him through.

His fielding will be missed and, on these flat pitches, Harmison might also prove expensive, but Pietersen does appear to have lost all faith in Anderson now.

�While India will be keen to keep the tourists subdued, there is the chance that they will rest one or two key players now that the one-day series is in the bag.

Frankly, that represents the only route to an England win that I can see and I only hope that Pietersen's men have had the good sense to learn from the object lesson that they have been dealt by an outstanding one-day team.

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see also
India v England ODI photos
23 Nov 08 |  England
Jonathan Agnew column
20 Nov 08 |  England
India secure win in fading light
20 Nov 08 |  England
Dismal England thrashed by India
14 Nov 08 |  England
England in India 2008
23 Nov 08 |  Cricket


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