The first Test of the Ashes 2023 series between England and Australia has seen a shift in favor of the visitors as they took two early wickets and restricted the hosts to a mere 7-run lead in their second innings. While England posted a total of 393/8d in their first innings, Australia managed 386 in response.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has expressed his disappointment with the performances of England’s fast bowlers. Pietersen believes that James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, and Ben Stokes have bowled well but only in patches.
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According to Pietersen, the current fast bowlers have failed to instill fear in the minds of opposing players. In his assessment, he compared them to the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Shoaib Akhtar, who he believes possessed more aggression and fire. Pietersen mentioned that Mark Wood, who he believes can create such an impact, is unfortunately not part of the playing XI.
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“Travis Head should have been targeted with short balls, but he was allowed to score. I don’t want to undermine any bowler, but there is a lack of pace in the England team. We don’t have bowlers like Mitchell Johnson and Shoaib Akhtar,” Pietersen expressed.
He further highlighted that Broad and Robinson were bowling at speeds of 80-82 mph, which he perceives as a concern for the England team. Pietersen emphasized that the pacers need to unsettle batsmen with well-executed short-pitched deliveries delivered at a higher pace. In order to regain the intimidation factor, Pietersen believes that the England team should focus on incorporating more pace and aggression into their bowling attack.