‘Whether it is Shane Warne or a 17-year-old kid, I bat this way’ – Piyush Chawla remembers Kevin Pietersen’s welcome on international debut

Piyush Chawla and Kevin Pietersen. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Indian leg spinner, Piyush Chawla, who made international at a tender age of 17, opened up about facing Kevin Pietersen during his debut Test match in 2006 and also recalled his welcoming statement.

Chawla made his debut in the second Test of the three-match series between against England at Mohali in 2006. Chawla became the second-youngest player to debut for India in Tests, after Sachin Tendulkar.

Having made a name for himself in domestic cricket with impressive performances, the 35-year-old entered international cricket with high expectations. However, the young leg-spinner quickly realized that the jump from domestic to international cricket was significant.

After bowling a maiden in his first over, he faced Pietersen, who was known for his aggressive batting style. Pietersen showed no mercy, smashing Chawla for a boundary and a six in his second over.

The onslaught didn’t stop there, as Pietersen continued to dominate the young spinner, who ended his first innings with disappointing figures of 0/45 from 9 overs. Chawla recalled Pietersen’s post-match statement that left a lasting impression on him.

“In my first Test match, Pietersen hit me to different parts of the ground. And stated that: ‘Whether it is Shane Warne or a 17-year-old kid, I bat this way’. That experience was like ‘welcome to international cricket’. I almost had a five-wicket haul in every second match in domestic cricket. It appeared like things were very easy, but when I played my first Test, I realized why international cricket is so difficult,” said Chawla on the 2 Sloggers podcast.

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Seniors backed me: Chawla

Despite the tough start, Chawla bounced back in the second innings, taking the crucial wicket of Andrew Flintoff and finishing with much-improved figures of 1/8.

India secured a nine-wicket victory, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the series. Chawla also credited the support he received from senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and MS Dhoni, which helped him overcome the initial setback.

“The way everyone backed me. It’s very important for a youngster who has just walked into the side to get support from the seniors. Sachin paaji came. Viru bhai (Virender Sehwag) talked to me in his own way. Then Yuvi paaji (Yuvraj) and Mahi bhai (Dhoni). I can’t say they were friends because they were very seniors,” added Chawla.

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The Uttar Pradesh-born has featured in three Tests, 25 ODIs, and seven T20Is for India. He scalped 7, 32, and four wickets, respectively, and was part of both the T20 World Cup 2007 and ODI World Cup 2011 winning squads.