India vs England 2024 Cricket

'You have good dreams sir go sleep' - Fans react as Kevin Pietersen makes bold prediction after England opted to bat first in 1st Test against India

With a mix of class and aggressiveness, England's batting has been their primary strength in recent years.

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Mathew K
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Kevin Pietersen & Team India (Source: Twitter)

Kevin Pietersen & Team India (Source: Twitter)

England great Kevin Pietersen made a bold prediction after Ben Stokes won the toss and opted to bat first in the first Test against India. The five-match series between the two international powerhouses is currently underway (Thursday 25th January) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

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To take advantage of the fresh wicket and built scoreboard pressure, England decided to start the battle with the bat. With a mix of class and aggressiveness, England's batting has been their primary strength in recent years. Their 'bazball' approach is going to be heavily tested on Indian pitches that favor spin. 

When captain Stokes mentioned at the toss that they were aiming for a big first innings score, Pietersen backed up the all-rounder's statement by making a big prediction. The former England middle-order batter took to his X handle and predicted that England would declare on Day 1 itself with a massive score of 450. "England bat. 450/9 declared today?," he wrote. 

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Indian spinners tore apart the English batting line-up

Talking about the match, England got off to a positive start with openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley not being aggressive but playing some good shots with caution. The two put on a partnership of 55 runs, but India staged a comeback by taking three quick wickets. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin drew first blood by removing Duckett in the 12th over. 

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Ollie Pope tried to settle in but was denied by Ravindra Jadeja as the right-hander had to return to the pavilion for just one run off 11 balls. Ashwin took one more wicket in the 16th over, sent Crawley back, and put India in control. At the end of the first session, England were 108-3 in 28 overs.

The hosts did not allow the visitors to gain the upper hand in the next phase either. After a mini-collapse, former England captain Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow were forming a decent partnership, but Axar Patel and Jadeja dismissed the duo in quick succession.

Here's how fans reacted to Kevin Pietersen's bold prediction: 

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