'It is disrespectful to England fans and India' - Kevin Pietersen slams selectors for resting key players for Test series

Team India is on a high, after stunning Australia, and inflicting a defeat on the Kangaroos at their fortress in Gabba, and winning the Border-Gavaskar trophy 2-1. Several of India’s first-choice players were injured, but the grit that the Indian side showed, under stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane will be talked about for a long time.

However, they cannot relax as next up is a challenging four-match Test series that awaits them. The England cricket team will be visiting Indian shores, and this Test series will be a hotly contested one, considering the talent that is available on both sides.

However, former England batting legend Kevin Pietersen has some concerns regarding the visiting side ahead of the Test series against India. Jonny Bairstow was not included in the England squad for the first two Tests of the four-match series, and that has not gone down well with Pietersen. On the social media platform Twitter, he opined that winning a Test in India is as big as winning in Australia.

Pietersen further added that England not playing their best team is not just a disrespect to England fans, but it was also a disrespect team India who are extremely strong at home. And, according to Pietersen, Bairstow should have definitely been given a chance. He also added that Broad or Anderson should surely take the field as well.

Here’s Pietersen’s tweet

Big debate on whether ENG have picked their best team to play India in the 1st Test.
Winning IN India is as good a feeling as winning in Aus.
It’s disrespectful to ENG fans & also @BCCI to NOT play your best team.

Bairstow has to play!
Broad/Anderson have to play!

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 24, 2021

Beating India at home will be a Herculean task for England

Beating India on Indian soil will indeed be a Herculean task for any side. In fact, such has been India’s dominance at home that the side has lost just a single Test match in the last 34 matches that the side has played on Indian soil. And needless to say, Joe Root and his men will have their task cut out against a world-class spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, and against a formidable batting line up consisting of batting legend Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane.

England are currently involved in a short two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. While Joe Root and his men comfortably won the first Test, the second Test match is intriguingly poised and all set for an exciting finish. Meanwhile, the first Test between India and England will take place at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on 5th February 2021.