Former England captain and batting stalwart Kevin Pietersen takes down a memory lane at the iconic Oval in London, reminiscing his deep association with the stadium. In an interview for cricket betting site Betway, he talks about his experiences of playing at this venue and shares some of his memorable moments.
Kevin Pietersen made his Test debut for England in the Ashes 2005 against Australia. This is still regarded as one of the greatest ever Test series to be played in history, and Pietersen played a huge part. This is where the legacy of the enigma known as the KP began and remained so till his retirement in 2014.
The iconic Test series saw Pietersen making a mark as a batsman and a talisman of World Cricket. After making a couple of crucial half-centuries in England’s incredible journey of taking a 2-1 lead in the first 4 Tests of the series, Pietersen scored his first Test century at the Oval in the 5th Test, thereby ensuring the game ends in a draw and helping England reclaim the Ashes. He ended as the leading run-getter in his debut series.
SEE ALSO: List of the top online sports betting websites
Pietersen was known to roll his arm over sporadically, and in 104 matches, he has picked 10 wickets, including one of former Indian skipper MS Dhoni at the Oval in the 3rd Test of 2007 series. That game is remembered for Anil Kumble making his first and only Test century. Also, India won the series 1-0 after the 3rd Test ended in a high-scoring draw.
4 years later, when India toured England again, it was a different result as the hosts dominated the entire series winning it 4-0. Kevin Pietersen was the star, scoring 533 runs in 4 Tests, including a double century in the final Test match at the Oval. As England whitewashed the visitors, they ascended to the top of the Test rankings.
Pietersen, now a broadcaster, returns to the venue in 2021, where India is the touring party, and the 4th Test match is set to be played at the Oval starting on 2nd September. So far, the series has been nothing short of riveting as both these sides have been highly competitive. While the 1st Test at Trent Bridge seemed to be nicely poised going into the final day, rain played spoilsport, with both the teams having a decent chance of winning the Test match.
The 2nd Test at Lord’s saw India coming from the back to script a memorable win after at one point in time; it seemed everything was lost for them. England won the 3rd at Leeds convincingly by an innings after dominating the entire Test match. For more cricketing stories from around the world, stay tuned to ReadScoops.com.
Sign-up to Lottoland India and get an INR 150 welcome bonus
