Despite all the critics that have been on his back for so long now, today’s brilliance showed us all how much love the England fans have for a run-scoring, full-flowing Kevin Pietersen. It was a joy to behold watching the Lord’s crowd back him all the way to his eventual 202*.
He may have or have not gotten luck with a referral that went in his favour when Rahul Dravid claimed a “catch” at leg slip with Pietersen on 49. With the video replay being inconclusive however, the benefit of the doubt was given to Pietersen. But once this chance passed, he took advantage and did what all great batsmen do; fill their boots and make big runs for their teams.
On Day 1, conditions forced a more disciplined showing from England’s No. 4. It was a shade of his game he has not worn often, but this did not show. He left wide balls and concentrated on playing balls off his body expertly. The determination that went into his innings shows by the fact that it took him 134 balls to reach his 50. That said - within the next 188 balls - we then saw much more of the old Kevin Pietersen that shocked the world and burst on to the scene with that ridiculous haircut in 2005 as he managed to dispatch the rest of his 152 runs.
The only man to rival Pietersen’s sensational day was Praveen Kumar, who managed to claim his first Test Match 5 wicket-haul. He managed this through great swing bowling - in spite of his lack of true pace – to remove Trott and Broad with late in-swinging LBW’s as well as Bell, Morgan and Prior edging behind.
It was highly impressive, because he stepped up on a day where India were missing their best bowler by far, Zaheer Khan and a day when Harbhajan proved ineffective and failed to claim any English scalps.
Pietersen cannot lay claim to owning the day’s batting spectacle single-handedly though. He was supported early on with a solid 70 by fellow converted South African Jonathan Trott. Once Trott departed, Bell followed with a crafted 46.
What followed was a free-flowing partnership with an in form Matt Prior who fired his way to a speedy, aggressive and impressive 71 from 93 deliveries. Even Graeme Swann managed a cameo 24 at just under a run per ball. It seemed that he was almost encouraging and challenging Pietersen to compete.
Pietersen though, was all too happy to compete and blasted his way to his double hundred with four shots of sheer magnificence. The first a blasted 4 straight down the ground. Then, an even more powerful six over Raina’s head into the Member’s Stand at Lords. The third was again straight, but was stopped short of the boundary for 2. Lastly a short and wide delivery was punished through the covers as Pietersen celebrated his fantastic innings, though it was plain to see his relief at having played such a vital knock. Combined, these efforts allowed England to declare in a great position.
The odd moment of the day had to be given to the dismissal of Eoin Morgan. Given caught behind, when action replays and snicko indicated that the ball only hit his pad before carrying behind. He later claimed he hit it, to stop claims that he thought he had been given LBW.
Irony also struck when Harbhajan couldn’t refer an LBW appeal given not out against Graeme Swann that replays showed would have been given out. Serves the Indian Cricket Board right!
