Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was criticial of India skipper Rohit Sharma‘s batting strategy within the ongoing second Test in Visakhapatnam. Rohit was dismissed for 14 by England spinner Shoaib Bashir within the first session on Day 1. Debutant Bashir broke by within the second over after the drinks break to get Rohit caught out at leg-slip on a supply that turned sharply into the right-hander, and the teenager roared in celebration. Pietersen feels Rohit have to be “kicking himself” for getting out on pitch have been “plenty” of runs have been on supply.

“It doesn’t matter who you get out to, you can get out to anybody. I think he’d be kicking himself because there were plenty of runs to be had here. On this wicket, against a very young and inexperienced bowling attack, he will be looking at his dismissal and thinking, ‘How on earth did I get myself out here?’,” Pietersen advised the broadcasters.

Pietersen feels Rohit, who confronted 41 balls and didn’t hit a boundary, missed the chance to place runs on the board, labelling his dismissal as “quite lazy”. 

“That (the dismissal) was quite lazy. Yes, it is instinctive to knock the ball towards the leg side. But there was no urgency in what led to the dismissal. There was no urgency to try and get off the strike. These guys are expansive from ball one in T20 cricket, they play so beautifully. We have not seen huge spin, massive bounce, or anything that should pose any fear in the batter’s mind,” he added.

Pietersen signed off by praising Shubman Gill, who confirmed intent throughout his knock of 34 from 46 balls.

“Gill played nicely, I thought. There was an intensity in him. There was a lack of intensity in Rohit; it looked like his innings was in slow motion,” Pietersen additional defined.

While Rohit and Gill failed to attain massive knocks, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal hit his second Test century to place India in management.

Jaiswal (125 not out) struck a high-quality hundred to push India to 225 for 3 at Tea on Day 1.