Negative tactics lead to a positive

Initially his counter was to employ his long reach, lengthen his open stance and slog the ball through the fielder-packed covers or, dangerously, over long-on.

But the bowler’s direction went wider and to follow was to risk rupture! Pietersen’s lateral thinking then moved him to adopt revolutionary batting methods. With the right-hander’s off-side field blocked, as the bowler moved in to deliver, Pietersen switched his stance to that of a left-hander. His right side was now his leading side. Importantly, the crowded off-side field, stripped of its packed off-side population became the left-hander’s leg-side and full of gaps. Scoring on that side of the wicket suddenly became much easier as instead of driving as a right-hander, he hooked and pulled as a left-hander!