'Dinesh Karthik will translate' - Wasim Jaffer playfully taunts Kevin Pietersen as India rule the roost in Hyderabad Test

Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer took a light-hearted dig at Kevin Pietersen for his optimism about England's performance in the first Test against India in Hyderabad.

Pietersen, renowned for his candid predictions, had anticipated a formidable score for England and confidently posted that England, batting first, would score 450 on day one of the Test and declare. “England bat. 450/9 declared today?” Pietersen had posted ahead of the series opener.

However, as the Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin found their rhythm, Pietersen quickly changed his tune, predicting a possible two-day finish with a frustrated, “Bloody Hell!!! Might be a two day game!” post.

The match unfolded at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on January 25, where England's openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, started strong but succumbed to the spin duo's prowess. Ashwin and Jadeja's breakthroughs led to England's downfall with the team going from a promising start to 246 all-out, with Ben Stokes top scoring (70 off 88).

Jaffer, in his trademark witty style, turned Pietersen's contrasting predictions into a meme, poking fun at the swift change in the Englishman's outlook. Adding a playful twist to the banter, Jaffer tagged Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, implying that Karthik would translate the meme for Pietersen.

Playing along, Karthik responded with a cheeky tweet, stating, “Some things don't need explanations 😋 Am I right @KP24?”

India hold strong position in Hyderabad

Coming to the match, India, having dismissed England for 246, made an impressive start, concluding day one at 119 for one. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill held the crease, with Jaiswal at 76 and Gill at 14. However, both overnight batters have returned to the pavilion courtesy of the cunning spin duo of Joe Root and Tom Hartley early morning on Day 2. Root accounted for Jaiswal, while Hartley outfoxed Gill. The game remains finely poised, with India looking to build on their solid foundation despite the setbacks in the recent exchanges.