IND v ENG 2025: “English batters would be better against him,” Pietersen on Varun Chakaravarthy's inclusion in ODI squad

Chakaravarthy troubled the England batters during the just-concluded T20I series.

Varun Chakaravarthy | GettyMystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who troubled the England batters during the just-concluded T20I series, has been added to India’s ODI squad.

In the lead-up to the Champions Trophy 2025, the Men in Blue are due to play three ODIs against England, starting on February 6 in Nagpur.

There is a fair chance that Chakaravarthy might just replace one of the four spinners in the Champions Trophy squad. He picked up 14 wickets at an average of 9.85 in five T20Is against England, helping India win the series 4-1.

Meanwhile, former England skipper Kevin Pietersen has termed Varun Chakravarthy's inclusion in the ODI squad as "a great decision" but backed the visitors to fare better against the right-arm spinner in the 50-over format.

"The English batters would be better against him in the one-dayers because they can spend more time. It's a longer format, not every ball is an event. But I think it is a great decision (to add Chakaravarthy)," Pietersen told media on the sidelines of the launch of Dram Bell Scotch Whisky.

Pietersen called England's loss in T20Is a "disaster", adding that the series would have been levelled in Pune if pacer Harshit Rana hadn’t replaced all-rounder Shivam Dube as a concussion substitution.

"It was a disappointing series from England's perspective. I think that in the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been done correctly, maybe England would have got up there," he said.

"It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (Stadium for final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn't happen."

According to Pietersen, India great Yuvraj Singh is "rubbing off" now on Abhishek Sharma who played the "best T20I innings I've ever seen".

"Abhishek is amazing. He had the shades (of Yuvraj).... Obviously, Yuvraj is rubbing off now on Abhishek. His batting was fantastic. It was the best T20 international innings, I've ever seen and I said that to him afterwards,” Pietersen said.

"It was effortless. The stroke play was great, there was no funky shots, no ramping, no sweeping, reverse sweeping. It was just perfection."

Pietersen highlighted that India will have to find a way to keep ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah fit, considering the upcoming assignments like the Champions Trophy and the five-Test tour of England.

"India just has to try and keep Bumrah fit. That's what India need to do over the next few months and that's the big ball that the BCCI have got to toss up. They've got to try and understand and figure out what do they do," he said.

"Do they play him in Champions Trophy? Do they play him in IPL? Do they play a little bit of IPL, a little bit of Champions Trophy? Do they say no to IPL? There are some very big decisions."

"What we have seen in this Australia-India series, the public are heavily invested still in Test match cricket," he remarked.

Kevin Pietersen hoped for "sporting wickets" for five-Test series between India and England.

"I think the first four days at Lord's are already sold out so the curators are going to want five-day game because it suits the revenue model. But I think for England to win, you've always got to make sporting conditions. You've always got to leave a bit of grass," Pietersen said.

"You've got to trust that the England batters will cope better than the Indian batters. It's a big series for the Indian batters as well. It's tough to bat in England. I hope they've got good, solid guidance, good, solid advice," he concluded.

(With PTI Inputs)

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 05 Feb, 2025

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