Kevin Pietersen blasts on England batters after failing stamp authority over India

Kevin Pietersen slammed the England batters for yet again failing to convert good starts into potential match-winning hundreds against India in the second ODI in Cuttack, which costed them the match and the series. On a relatively flat surface, the visitors' batters squandered a golden opportunity to post a score above 350 after managing to have a good start in the power play. Openers Ben Duckett (65), and Plip Salt (26) raced to 80 in the first ten overs, but none of the batters could bat for long.

After Duckett, Joe Root (69) also got his fifty but the former England skipper also failed to convert his 50 into 100. England could only post 304, but could have posted even bigger total had one of Root or Duckett converted those 50s into a big hundred. Pietersen didn't mince words and blasted England batters for letting golden opportunities slip away.

"It seems to me there's just a lack of hunger and a lack of desire to go and get that 130, 140. That's what's missing. Like, it's just too easy. Get 40, get 50, get 60. That's cool. Everything's fine. Got my 50, got my 60. I'll probably play the next game. If I don't, I'll have the day off and go and play golf, and I'm gonna do what I like," Pietersen told the broadcasters during the innings break.

For the unversed, England batters also struggled to post a huge first innings in the first ODI in Nagpur. At that match also Salt (43), and Duckett (32) managed to post a fifty-plus run stand. But yet another middle order collapse enabled England to finish on just 248. In the first game, Jos Butter (52), and Jacob Bethall (51) scored 50s, and were guilty of not converting those scores into 100s.

Also Read: Record Alert: Rohit Sharma crosses Chris Gayle's record of most sixes in ODIs

Kevin Pietersen opines England batters lacking hunger to score big scores

In Asia it becomes all the more important for batters to convert starts into big scores. However, England batters twin failures on flat surfaces in Cuttack and Nagpur has irked Pietersen. The former England skipper feels the batters are lacking the hunger and right mentality to score big scores and take game away from opposition.

"It just seems to me like they're just lacking that bit of something that says, 'Hey, man, come on. Let's get that 100, let's get that 130.' This team here should be scoring 350 today. That's what they should be doing. 304, they might still win this game. They've got a very good chance of still winning this game, but they should be able to be ruthless and get that 350, 360 because they're good enough," he added.

With series already lost, England will take on India in third and final ODI on Wednesday,February 12 in Ahmadabad.