Rahul Dravid helped me with the art of playing spin: Kevin Pietersen

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has hailed Rahul Dravid's influence on his batting, saying the legendary Indian's advice on how to play spin opened up a "whole new world" for him.

Pietersen said his Indian Premier League experiences, batting alongside world-class players such as Dravid and Virender Sehwag, helped him expand his repertoire of shots.

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Pietersen played for various IPL teams like the erstwhile Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

"Dravid wrote me the most beautiful e-mail, explaining the art of playing spin and ever since then it was a whole new world," the former England batting star said.

"The key point was looking for the length as soon as the ball was delivered - wait for the spinner and make your decision," the 40-year-old was quoted as saying by 'Sky Sports' during a discussion on how one-day batting has developed over the years.
 

During his 10 years as an England player, from 2004 to 2014, Pietersen was one of the world's most explosive batsmen -- particularly in limited-overs cricket.

He scored 8181 runs from 104 Tests at an average of 47.28. From 136 ODIs, he hit 4440 at an average of 40.73.

Pietersen said his famed switch-hit was partly the product of hours spent playing squash as a youngster.