Yuvraj Singh has underlined his determination to deliver against England tomorrow by re-opening his long-running feud with Kevin Pietersen.
Both holders India and hosts England need a victory in the Super Eights encounter at Lord's to have a realistic chance of qualifying for the final stages of the ICC World Twenty20.
It is a stage set for the differing talents of England batsman Pietersen and India's hard-hitting Yuvraj, who enjoyed a battle on and off the pitch during the recent Test and one-day series between the two countries.
Gottim: Kevin Pietersen is bowled by Yuvraj Singh at the Nehru Stadium last year
Pietersen branded Yuvraj a 'pie-chucker' and claimed his bowling was 'filth' during that series, while the Indian batsman responded by suggesting that dismissing Pietersen five times meant he was a 'useless batsman.'
Apart from one fleeting match during the recent Indian Premier League the pair have not seen each other since, but it has not diluted Yuvraj's desire to try and wind up Pietersen.
'If I get the chance I would love to bowl to him again and I am sure he would love to call me a pie-chucker again,' enthused Yuvraj.
'He's a great batsman and we always look forward to playing against each other and we're great friends off the field. We spur each other on, we both love doing that.'
While Yuvraj's confrontation with Pietersen will ensure a lively bout of verbal sparring in the middle, there is no doubt facing England also raises his competitive desire.
He scored two centuries in last November's one-day series against England, performed consistently in the Test series win before Christmas and memorably hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over during India's ICC World Twenty20 triumph in Durban two years ago.
No more pie thanks, I'm full: Kevin Pietersen greets Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj's onslaught was revenge for all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas hitting his own bowling for five successive sixes during the one-day series in England, although he is not expecting to emulate the feat at Lord's.
'Hitting six sixes is always special, especially when you've been hit for five,' he said. 'That will be in the back of my mind but this is a new day.
'I'm not a person who believes in mind games. Every day is a new day and everybody can have a good day with the ball and the bat.
'There's always a bit of healthy chat when India play against England and both teams want to excel. It's a proud moment to play for your country and you want to beat the opposition.
'Sometimes it brings out the best in you, but sometimes if you're fired up too much it can bring out the worst in you so you have to control your aggression, but I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow.'
Yuvraj added: 'England are looking a good team but we've had the edge over England in a lot of games and we'll take that confidence into tomorrow.
'I'm not thinking about one more bad game or what's going to happen if we lose. In the last three years we've won 80 per cent of our matches and I'm very confident of winning our next game.'
India are expected to name the same side which slumped to a seven-wicket defeat against West Indies with Rohit Sharma continuing to deputise
Read Full Stroy Here
Posts
