• Source:JND
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England cricket legend Kevin Pietersen welcomed the inclusion of Varun Chakaravarthy in India's ODI squad for the upcoming series against England, calling it a "great decision".

However, Pietersen expressed confidence that England would be able to handle Chakaravarthy's spin effectively in the longer format of the game, suggesting that the visitors would fare better against him in ODIs.

Chakravarthy was all over England in the five-T20I series taking 14 wickets in India's 4-1 series win, following which he has been added to the ODI side with the series starting in Nagpur on Thursday.

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"The English batters would be better against him in the one-dayers because they can spend more time. It's a longer format, not every ball is an event. But I think it is a great decision (to add Chakravarthy)," Pietersen told media on the sidelines of the launch of Dram Bell Scotch Whisky as quoted by PTI. 

Pietersen termed England's loss in T20Is as a "disaster", adding that the series would have been levelled in Pune if a like-for-like concussion substitution for Shivam Dube had been used instead of tearaway quick Harshit Rana.

"It was a disappointing series from England's perspective. I think that in the fourth T20I, if the concussion substitution had been done correctly, maybe England would have got up there," he said.

"It would have been 2-2 coming to the Wankhede (Stadium for final T20I). It would have been way more on the game. But it didn't happen."

Pietersen said India great Yuvraj Singh is "rubbing off" now on Abhishek Sharma who played the "best T20I innings I've ever seen".

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"Abishek is amazing. He had the shades (of Yuvraj).... Obviously, Yuvraj is rubbing off now on Abishek. His batting was fantastic. It was the best T20 international innings, I've ever seen and I said that to him afterwards,” Pietersen said.

"It was effortless. The stroke play was great, there was no funky shots, no ramping, no sweeping, reverse sweeping. It was just perfection," the former England captain wouldn't stop gushing about the Punjab southpaw's hitting ability.