Pietersen unfazed by prospect of bouncy wicket for Boxing Day Ashes Test
By ANIThursday, December 23, 2010
MELBOURNE - England batsman Kevin Pietersen insists that his team would not be losing sleep over the prospect of another bouncy wicket in the Boxing Day Test of the Ashes series in Melbourne.
The pitch originally intended for the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been shelved in favour of another one, grassier and faster, to exploit the uncertainties in the light of England’s capitulation against pace at Perth’s WACA Ground.
“Of course they are going to do it. They’ve just had success in Perth on a bouncy wicket, but we’ve had success around the world on bouncy wickets,” the Daily Mail quoted Pietersen, as saying.
“We lost that Test within half an hour, five for 20 - that’s where we lost it. Full, swinging balls knocked over our top order. We didn’t lose it to a bouncy wicket; we lost it to balls that swung that we didn’t prepare ourselves properly for.”
“We will be prepared fully for everything come Sunday morning, so I don’t think the wicket will play any different part,” he added.
Earlier, Melbourne Cricket Club Chief Executive Stephen Gough had said that the decision to use the alternative pitch was made before the Perth Test started last week.
“I’m glad we made the decision early. I’d hate to think if we released it after Perth whether anyone would think we were up to something. I’m not surprised with the conspiracy theory, given the success in Perth,” Gough had said.
Australia’s emphatic 267-run win in the third Test levelled the five-match series at 1-1. (ANI)
