Defeatist Pietersen

England can't win. Their captain has said so:

"I'm afraid we are out of the Test. It's difficult to win the game. If we could have batted a session into tomorrow, we could have forced ourselves into the game. Now, we'll be happy to get a draw out of it."

What are you on about KP? Yes, the odds are against your team but it's up to you to stir them into bowling India out cheaply in their 2nd innings to create a winning situation for your team. Checking Bet365's odds the draw is massive favourite at 1/7, India are 5/1 to win and England are 33/1.

How can England force a win from here? Well I hope they're at least considering declaring now given that the start has been delayed for fog. They need early wickets when India next bat - if they think that they are more likely to take early wickets when the fog is still fading away then that should be their tactic, looking to bowl India out and give the best England batsmen the chance to have have a 2nd innings. The alternative if they think it's going to give them a greater chance of winning is to allow Prior, Broad and Swann the chance to have a hit for one session or so and as soon as they are not scoring freely, declare. The England score at the time is almost irrelevant.

I fear that by laying his cards on the table, Pietersen has declined to play one of his last cards. If he'd declared behind and England had taken a couple of quick wickets, doubts may have set in to India with their home crowd also getting on their backs. But instead, India will have that greater level of confidence that comes from knowing the opposition captain has already given up trying to win the game.

Crazy talk from Pietersen but it doesn't take away from his great individual innings. Can anyone who has Sky tell me if Pietersen's LBW pitched outside leg, as his reaction to the decision and subsequent comments has apparently suggested?