Kevin Pietersen

New Delhi: For professional sportsmen, failures are part of the package.

In Kevin Pietersen’s case, it made him skip breakfast.

“I did not have my breakfast. It is one of the worst mornings I have had after a match,” the dashing middle-order batsman said here on Wednesday.

The South Africa-born player has been severely criticised for his shot selection, a slog sweep that ended up in the fielder’s lap in the deep, triggering England’s collapse from a seemingly impregnable position in the first one-dayer here on Tuesday.

Pietersen had the Indian bowling at his mercy in an intimidating knock of 46 before falling to part-time bowler Yuvraj Singh.

England, cruising at 117 for three, crumbled to 164 all out with only 40 more runs needed from more than 12 overs to win.

“It isn’t nice to know that I started the collapse, particularly after being caught in the deep,” Pietersen said.

“I was disappointed. I should have been there to finish off the game, probably both of us (him and Andrew Flintoff).”

The 25-year old, who plays for Hampshire where Shane Warne was his teammate in the County Championship last summer, defended employing the sweep shot against spinners.

“It is my favourite shot against spinners. There is no spinner in the world that I would not like to sweep. It just messes up their line and length.”