KP lets his bat do the talking

All eyes were on Andrew Strauss as he began his tenure as full-time England captain. But looks can be deceiving and although the sun-glassed scattering of spectators and media types appeared to be looking at Strauss, behind the shades they were secretly keeping their efforts on a former England captain, Kevin Pietersen. No longer captain, but still the IPL’s hottest pick, Pietersen has not been allowed a moment’s peace since he returned from his much documented African Safari holiday.
At the fall of the England’s wicket, Pietersen launched himself from his dressing-room seat and set off for the middle like a Jamaican sprinter. Still he had time to poke fun at Chris Gayle’s beard on his way to the crease, although Gayle would have been well within his rights to allow himself a snigger at Pietersen’s unshaven appearance. Having easily negotiated his first ball, he whipped the second to square leg and at once set off on his customary scurry to get off the mark; although he is no Usain Bolt, Pietersen is the master of the ‘Red Bull dash’ and fortunately for Ian Bell who encountered a large patch of treacle on his way to the other end, Shiv Chanderpaul chose to throw wildly at Pietersen’s end.
Suitably relaxed after getting off the mark, Pietersen quickly showed why he is so adored by fans and so feared by opponents around the world. Flicking, whipping and showing a clear preference for the leg-side, ‘KP’ also unfurled a couple of classic straight drives which left Geoffrey Boycott purring in the Test Match Special box. Bell, who himself had started positively, chose to stand back and admire as Pietersen made the West Indian pace attack look like the local net bowlers he had mercilessly been basing in the lead up to the game. When Pietersen bats well he stamps his authority on the game and although he was subdued in the overs either side of the lunch break, the crowd were beginning to become hypnotised by the ease with which England’s premier player was batting.
The introduction of spin slowed Pietersen a little, particularly the variation that Sullimen Benn offered. Pietersen looked insulted when Nasser Hussain suggested that Benn had been ‘all over him’, responding quickly; “Was he? Sure, he turned a few, but I played the line, I was very happy facing him”. This confidence was reflected not in the session immediately after lunch when he and Paul Collingwood wielded only 23 runs in 17 overs, but in the period after tea when he launched a solo counter-attack.
With Andrew Flintoff seemingly prepared to block well into the Third Day, Pietersen took it upon himself to take the attack to the home side. He took a distinctly under par Fidel Edwards for a handful of boundaries before turning his attention back to Benn. In the past Englishmen have come to the Carribbean with their dreams haunted by 6ft 5 West Indian quicks rather than 6ft 5 left-arm spinners, and although Strauss and co have probably not lost any sleep over the threat of Sullimen Benn, he produced a fantastically controlled and at times threatening spell, sending down 33 overs collecting 2-64.
Pietsersen began the 66th over by smashing Benn down the ground for a dismissive boundary. He followed that up by clobbering the lanky spinner over his head for a one-bounce four, by now no-one was in denial, the whole ground was watching Pietersen. When the following ball was swatted over mid-on for the first maximum of the game to take KP to 97, the crowd were going wild, the dressing room were on their feet and IPL chiefs were rubbing their hands with glee. But alas, the master was the architect of his own demise. Speaking after the day’s play he said “that’s the way I play”, but truth be told, this was an error of judgement, an ill advised shot which ballooned in the air before being safely pouched by Dinesh Ramdin; though he isn’t the first and won’t be the last to perish trying to reach his century in style.
A weak dismissal yes, a weak innings, certainly not. After all that had happened, this was the ideal response, despite his penchant for cheesy press conferences and clichéd interviews, KP must continue to let his bat do the talking.