Throwback: When Kevin Pietersen played in Duleep Trophy in 2003

The prestigious red-ball competition which is since the recent past been known by many as an inter-zonal competition was once in fact not an entirely India-centric event. The Board of Control for Cricket in India embarked on a revolutionary decision to invite overseas teams from the 2003/04 season. It was England A who made their way to India, with a relatively unknown Kevin Pietersen touring as well. 

Having had a prolific international career with England which spanned a decade, it was that particular edition of the Duleep Trophy which he attributes as the main causal factor which made him enchanted with admiration for India. The former English cricketer also admitted the same through a recent social media post. 

On the back of successful domestic seasons in England, the former top-order batter was yet to make his debut for England. It was a meticulously planned move by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to incorporate him in the England A setup, in a bid to expose him to the turning Asian subcontinent conditions, coupled with gaining experience in terms of facing the best in the business.

Pietersen's bat did the talking as he stockpiled 345 runs in just four innings, emerging as the leading run-getter in that edition. His attacking prowess was what caught the eye of many, as displayed by the game against South Zone where he played at a much better rate than most of the batters from both sides, in a match he scored centuries in both innings (104 and 115).

Another aspect of Pietersen's batting took centre stage during England A's next game against East Zone, where he scored 32 in the first innings and was the lone warrior in the second, falling a mere six runs shy of another ton to his name, with the next-highest scorer in that innings not even scoring half of what Pietersen could manage. Interestingly, a young MS Dhoni was the opposition's opening batter. He scored 52 and 29 in that match, respectively.

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The first-time experience on Indian soil proved priceless for Pietersen, as it lay the foundation to one of the most dominating batters against spin. His track record against India in India as far as the longest format of the game is concerned speaks volumes. The batter had registered 703 runs in 16 innings in India, which included four half-centuries and two tons, before calling it quits to his international career.