When I queried Kevin Pietersen's ability to bat at number 4 for England, I was hoping to be proved wrong. it was not a criticism of his undoubted talent or ability, but rather one about his mental state while batting for his country. Despite showing flourishes of pure brilliance since the beginning of the India series, once again he has let himself down. Not so much the team, but more frustratingly himself.
Whipping Kumar through mid-wicket and literally running at Mishra, Pietersen's 50 at Edgbaston was a joy to watch. This was until the all-too familiar sight of a bored KP started to take over. A soft dismissal of playing inside an outswinger from Kumar came as no surprise as, once again, having played so elegantly and patiently for his half century, a period of silliness and almost boredom was apparent in Pietersen's batting ever since the moment of raising his bat.
Pietersen's innings had appeared so easy and effortless for an hour, but then he suddenly lost it, lost his once-steady head, resulting in what looked like too much effort and a subsequently unnecessary dismissal.
Once the new ball came and there was movement, Pietersen seemed to lose all focus and momentum. This is not acceptable for England's number 4. It is always said that the best batsmen turn 50s into hundreds, and there is no reason why Pietersen could not have turned one of his best ever 50s into a century, and maybe an additonal 50 runs on top of that. There is no excuse, apart from an unstable mental attitude. What else could explain a batsman with his eye in and 50 beautifully crafted runs under his belt becoming unfocused and bored.
He does this too often. Too many times has KP got himself 30 or 50 runs only to fall victim to his own mental attitude and consequently run past a straight one. Its almost amusing to witness a physical deterioration in his technique and shot selection once he feels his job is done. A batsman's job is never done until the game is won, and Pietersen needs to realise this and start showing that he is a player capable of more than one big innings a year.
