Brett Lee tried to kill me
Robert Craddock
Birmingham
03aug05
ENGLAND'S batting big mouth Kevin Pietersen has said Brett Lee tried to kill him at Lord's as Australia mulls over plans for the rematch at Edgbaston tomorrow.
Sorting out a new game plan for the feisty Pietersen, who made 121 runs for once out in the first Test, is one of the top items on Australia's agenda for its second Test planning.
Pietersen has told of the confidence he gained in foiling three ploys designed to expose his home-made technique in his Test debut.
"They went for me for two hours outside off stump, then tried lbw bowling at my legs and then they went to the bumper theory," Pietersen said.
"Lee tried to kill me and that wasn't nice. I came through it and I gained great heart."
Captain Ricky Ponting said Australia had several ploys in mind to counter the batsman who fires himself up for battle by downing a Red Bull energy drink before he bats.
Pietersen was in such splendid form in the first Test he managed 75 runs off 99 balls from Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne as the pair cast a mesmeric spell over his teammates.
"We will have a look at the way he played in the first Test," Ponting said.
"There are plans we executed well for a short period, but we have to do it for a long period of time because he scores so freely and hits the ball so hard he can get away from you pretty quickly.
"When he first comes to the crease is an area we have to look at. He was conservative and got himself in before he started taking the bowlers on.
"We have got to think, are we happy with him doing that?
"Should we starve him for runs or have an aggressive go at him, make him play shots and get a mistake out of him?
"They are the things we have to weigh up."
Pietersen has an unusual hammer grip that makes him drag the ball to the leg side.
Many observers say the technique must eventually be found out at Test level, but he is nothing if not resourceful.
English coach Duncan Fletcher has said Pietersen is one of the cleverest players he has worked with.
Pietersen will face the same attack tomorrow, with Ponting all but confirming that Michael Kasprowicz's 5-67 in the match against Worcestershire that ended in a draw yesterday would not be enough to displace Jason Gillespie for the third seamer's role.
"Kasper has done everything he can but Jason did well in his first spell," Ponting said.
"If you look at the way Jason played today and the way we went in the first Test, it would be unlikely we would change the team."
Pietersen said he had tried to play McGrath by getting forward and Warne by being quick on his feet and using his bat as often as possible, given his most venomous ball was the skidding slider.
