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KP absence hits England

Author: Rose Young
Date: 31/07/2009

Kevin Pietersen has played in 54 consecutive Test matches since his debut against Australia in July 2005, but he will be absent for the rest of the Ashes series due to injury.

The 29-year-old England right-hander has been forced to undergo surgery on a long-standing Achilles problem and has been ruled out for around two months at least.

Can England win the third Ashes Test without Kevin Pietersen? - Latest Cricket Betting

The talent of Pietersen was ably demonstrated when he made two half-centuries on his Test debut against Australia and although he struggled to make a major contribution in the next three games, he took centre stage at The Oval later that summer.

Needing only a draw for a first Ashes success in nearly two decades, England were in some trouble in their second innings when they slumped to 199-7, a leading of just over 200.

However, Pietersen came to the rescue with a magnificent 158 from 185 balls, smashing 15 fours and seven sixes to ensure that there was no late escape for the Baggy Greens.

The next major landmark for the man known simply as KP came in May 2007 at Headingley when he recorded his first double century in Test cricket, making a career-best 226 against the West Indies.

The summer of 2008 would be a momentous one for Pietersen, as he was elevated to the position of captain of England, but his reign would be a short and tempestuous one.

The series against South Africa had already been lost when England fell 2-0 down after three matches, with that situation prompting Michael Vaughan to step down as skipper and leave the way clear for Pietersen's coronation.

The initial signs were that Pietersen would take to captaincy as easily as he had everything else in the game, with his making a century on his debut as leader and guiding his side to a consolation six-wicket win over the Proteas in the fourth Test at The Oval.

However, the following tour of India would see the whole England camp unravel, with Pietersen being unable to forge a working relationship with coach Peter Moores.

As soon as the squad returned home, Pietersen called for Moores to be removed from his post, a move which angered the top brass at the ECB and eventually led to his resignation after a mere three Test matches at the helm.

Pietersen returned to the ranks for the subsequent trip to the West Indies, with Andrew Strauss quickly drafted in to take up the reins.

That proved to be a much more settled situation, with Pietersen making more than 400 runs in the Wisden Trophy, although England lost the series 1-0.

Pietersen had begun to be bothered by an Achilles problem while in the Caribbean and the injury grew in severity as the 2009 Ashes series got underway.

KP was eventually forced to accept the need for an operation and thus his career is halted for the time being, with his Test figures reading 4,647 runs at an average of 49.96, with 16 centuries and 15 fifties from 97 innings.

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