Last update:04 November 2024, 5:52 p.m. IST

Kevin Pietersen has suggested that the game has now evolved into a game of “smackers”, with Test match batting skills in decline.

More and more batters have adopted a more aggressive approach in Test match cricket. (Image: Sportzpics)

With the rise of T20 cricket, gone are the days when we could see batters looking to bowl an entire session, with an aggressive approach to batting being the preference of most teams in the longest format.

Former England captain and cricketer Kevin Pietersen has suggested that the game has now evolved into a game of “smackers”, with Test match batting skills in decline. This was particularly prevalent after India’s disastrous batting performance at home, where they suffered a 0-3 series defeat against New Zealand, where Indian batters struggled to meet the challenge posed by the spinners Kiwi.

As for solutions to help combat India’s woes against manipulation. Pietersen suggested that players look to dedicate time against spinners during their online sessions to ensure they can overcome their vulnerabilities.

India’s batting has also seen an evolution, as evidenced in the last T20I against Bangladesh, where the team looked to go after every delivery, ultimately scoring 297 runs in 20 overs.

One of the best hitters in the current team, Rishabh Pant enjoyed success against the best bowlers of the generation, opting for an aggressive approach where he looked to rise to the challenge, rather than looking to play the long game.

English ‘Bazball’, which also takes a similar approach, has also seen some success, indicating that this may be the right way to go. But time and again it has also been proven that there are situations where batters should take a more defensive approach, which was not common in the New Zealand series.

With such aggressive intent on display, it is no surprise that Test matches have seen more and more matches end with many days to spare.

With India under pressure, they will now be hoping they can rework their batting approach to ensure they can topple the Australians again. The two teams are set to meet in the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia, which begins later this month.