Ashes 2021-22: Kevin Pietersen Shares Key Tips On How To Defeat Australia in Australia
England is going to take on their oldest rivals in cricket once again this winter as they head out to Australia for the Ashes 2021-2022.
The much-anticipated test series of the Ashes 2021-22 is all set to make a lot of noise in the cricket world before the year ends. The Ashes, which is one of the most followed Test series in international cricket, will be played on Australian soil this year.
Australia is currently holding the title from the 2018 series. England, in the last edition of the series, had an opportunity to get the title but it ended with a draw.
The Ashes 2021 will see a total of 5 Test matches and all of them will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23. The 1st Test is scheduled to be played from December 8 (Wednesday) at The Gabba in Brisbane while the 5th and final Test will commence from January 14 at Perth Stadium.
Meanwhile, ahead of the anticipated Test series 2021-22 down under, former England cricketer and legend Kevin Pietersen, in an exclusive video released by cricket betting site Betway, shared some important tips on how to beat Aussies in their den.
Importance Of Ashes In Players’ Career
The former English player shed light on the importance of Ashes – The Test series in a players’ life and career. According to Pietersen, the players’ career is somewhat judged at the end of his career on the back of his performance in Ashes, given how the fans and media have their pupils set on it.
“I think you realise after your career how important the Ashes are. You are judged at the end of your career almost entirely on how you went in Ashes cricket. Something that the fans and the public get the media all involved in. And you are always reminded of it as well. It’s a great feather in the cap to say we beat Australia in Australia. These are historic moments,” the legend said.
Getting Off To A Good Start Would Be The Key – Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen, further highlighted how England can silence the crowd early by getting a good start in the series. The cricketer-turned commentator said that if England manages to dominate the first Test down under, they can silence the crowd.
“Once you get off to a really good start then, the public and media start to question the Australian side. For us to get that draw in Brisbane, then to take part in Adelaide on that particular tour was where we built up all the momentum. It’s vital to make sure that the first test doesn’t go pear-shaped,” Pietersen added.
Score Runs, Make Sure You Keep Bowlers Out There – Kevin Pietersen
Scoring runs in Test cricket is one of the keys to getting a hold in the match and Kevin Pietersen feels that scoring runs and keeping the Australian bowlers on backfoot can give England an early edge in the series. He also gave an example of Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and himself, saying how they all once got on Aussies by scoring runs and the current English batters can do the same to dominate the Kangaroos.
“Scoring a lot of runs is something you have to do in Australia. You have to make sure you keep the bowlers out there. Cook scored 700 runs, I got plenty, Ian Bell got plenty, Strauss got runs. It’s key to success to know that if you fail your other buddy is going to turn up,” Pietersen further said.
Back The Bowlers Who Take Wickets – Kevin Pietersen
The 41-years old further said that England has to stay stick to their main bowlers that provide you with wickets. Notably, England is going into the Ashes 2021-22 with the iconic bowling pair of Broad and Anderson while Ollie Robinson and Chris Woakes are set to bowl alongside them. All of them have been in a blistering form and delivered some good results in their last Test series against India.
“You also got to have a strike bowler that takes wickets and you got to have a spinner that takes wickets. It’s about having the key personnel deliver when you need to deliver. Anderson at that stage was as good as anyone with his reverse swing and his control. We had the bowlers to back him up then we know how great Swann is on his day,” Pietersen said.
Keep The Momentum Down – Kevin Pietersen
The former England batter finally signed off by saying that one shouldn’t take Aussies lightly as they’ve got that ‘determination’ and ‘grit’ to make a comeback at any moment of the match. England should stay focused and not let the momentum slide off their hands.
“I remember in Adelaide in the 2006-07 series where we had scored 550 in that first innings and we lost that test match. Making sure that you keep the momentum down and you keep people focused the entire time is the key to winning in Australia. The Australians have got that mongrel spirit, that fight, the determination, the grit. You give them a chance and they will get you,” he signed off.
Joe Root led England is currently placed at the 5th spot out of 7 teams in ICC World Test Championship 2021-23. Australia, on the other hand, is yet to play their first Test match of WTC 2022-23. The results of The Ashes 2021 will certainly affect the ICC WTC 2021-23 points table.
