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29 March 2024

T20 cricket blunts India's home advantage

England's Craig Kieswetter speaks during a press conference at The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Monday in Hyderabad, India. (GETTY)

Published
By AP

Craig Kieswetter said on Monday that playing for Somerset in the recent Champions League Twenty20 tournament will help the wicketkeeper-batsman when England starts its limited overs series against India on Friday.

“There is no better preparation for a tough series than having time out in the middle as I did for Somerset in the Champions League,” he told reporters. “Being able to spend time in the middle was a great thing for me.”

Kieswetter said playing against the world’s top domestic sides and reaching the Champions League semifinals was a good experience.

“Even though the tempo will be different in the series, there is nothing to beat match practice,” said the 23-year-old, who has played 23 one-day internationals and 13 twenty20 games for England.

“I have been in and out of the England team and am keen to seal a place for myself. I would like to keep opening and give the team steady starts,” said Kieswetter, who suffered an arm injury during the Champions League but is fit to play.

Kieswetter said the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium pitch, on which England plays it second practice game against a Hyderabad XI on Tuesday ahead of Friday’s one-day international, would be good for batting.

“The wicket looks like a 280-300 run one. There will be plenty of runs on it and we are ready for the challenge. We have all our bases covered and look forward for the series to start,” he added.

England won its first practice game against the Hyderabad team by 56 runs on Saturday.

A depleted Indian side led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play its first series at home since winning the World Cup in April this year.

Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, big-hitting opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan are among the list of injured while senior spinner Harbhajan Singh has been dropped for the first two games.

England, which beat India 3-0 in a five-game one-day series at home last month and also won all four Tests and a solitary Twenty20 match, will end the India tour with the Twenty20 game in Kolkata on October 29.

England’s last ODI in India was a thrilling tie in February during the World Cup, when England chased an imposing target of 339 in a group game at Bangalore — but fell one run short on the last ball of the game.