The Pietersen Show - Day Two at Lord's

Before today only two England batsmen, Wally Hammond and Len Hutton, had made more than two test double centuries, with seven and four respectively. Today the much maligned Kevin Pietersen added his name to that list with his third, and second in eight tests.

Watching Pietersen bat on Thursday one would have got good odds on his achieving such a remarkable landmark today, but he blossomed as the innings progressed, ending in flurry of boundaries, one of which was six that may have significantly reduced the life expectancy of a number of members who were in the vicinity when it landed. It’s true that he had a little luck: he was, correctly, reprieved by hot spot when MS Dhoni thought that he had snared his first test wicket, but before that he survived what was probably a clean catch by Rahul Dravid. It is ironic that the ICC has given way to the highly qualified ballistics experts at the BCCI on the use of Hawkeye but persist in using the cameras for low catches but it has been proven time and again not to be accurate.

Trott went reasonably early on having added just twelve to his overnight score, leg before to the persevering Kumar. Bell then batted nicely and England looked comfortable until he, rather surprisingly, edged Kumar to Dhoni. With Morgan falling to a superb ball later in the same over, although there was some doubt as to whether he had actually nicked it, there was a real risk that England might squander their good start, especially with Kumar swinging the ball extravagantly at times.

Anyone reaching that rather pessimistic conclusion, however, would have reckoned without Matt Prior. Over the last year or so his batting has been superb and here he looked in good order straightaway, taking the pressure off Pietersen and upping the tempo as the Indian bowlers understandably tired.  Then after tea they went bananas.

Between tea and the declaration, Kevin Pietersen faced 81 balls and scored 87 runs, with his last 50 coming from just 25 balls. At the other end, Matt Prior added 51 from 57 and, after Broad’s first baller had given Kumar a deserved five wicket haul, Swann joined in the fun with some lusty blows. The fact that he should have been given out leg before and would have been but for the hare-brained decision not to use ball tracking technology simply added to the fun.

Pietersen reached his double century in style, plundering sixteen from the first four balls of Raina’s over before Strauss, slightly surprisingly, declared. The Indians will have been glad to get off the field – they undoubtedly suffered a major setback when Zaheer was hurt but the rest of the bowling, with the honourable exception of Kumar, was pretty moderate, and the fielding became very ragged as England accelerated in the afternoon. Duncan Fletcher has work to do.

Enlgand would have hoped for a breakthrough in the overs that were left in the day but Mukund and Gambhir held firm. Another fascinating day’s cricket has set up an intriguing weekend.