England’s two new players in the series transformed the match. There was Monty Panesar, omitted from the first Test team, celebrating his tenth wicket of the game and his fifth of the innings in the penultimate over, leaving India with a paltry lead of 31 and just three wickets remaining. Joining the celebrations was another brilliant newcomer to the team for surely this was not the same Kevin Pietersen, who appeared at Ahmedabad.

In the first Test England’s No4 fretted like a novice before falling amid some ignominy to Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner. But here was a different Pietersen, magnificent and measured, producing the second match-winning knock of the England innings, 186 majestic runs. Argue about Pietersen the man if you must. There is not much argument about Pietersen the batsman. He is unique. He is damn good.

Thanks to him and his inspirational captain, Alastair Cook, there was a lead of 86 when India started their second innings. It should have been more; it could have been a lot less but for the two men who now join one another as well as Wally Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott at the top of the list of England’s Test centurions.

Then in the final session Panesar and Graeme Swann bowled with a venom so far beyond all three of India’s spinners in this match. Gautam Gambhir remained throughout looking on with some horror as Panesar dispatched the modern icons of Indian cricket. Panesar’s eyes kept popping out of his head after another of his deliveries leapt from just the sort of surface India’s captain, MS Dhoni, had demanded before the match.

None of those icons could reach double figures. Virender Sehwag in his 100th Test was neatly caught by Swann in the gully; Sachin Tendulkar, “the Prince of India” according to Monty on the first day, was stuck on the crease and almost started walking before the finger was raised; Yuvraj Singh danced down the wicket only to glove a catch to Jonny Bairstow at short leg. Dhoni, cool, calm and rich prodded and was caught at slip. Then after the icons Ravi Ashwin skied a catch to cover in Panesar’s final over of the day.

 At the other end Swann saved his colleagues so much toil by dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara cheaply, caught at short-leg. Soon after Virat Kohli of the film star looks, played a shot that might be x-rated. A full toss was mis-hit straight to mid-off. India in India were being beaten at their own game.

 In effect they were 31-7. Victories can never be assured but at the close England were on the brink of a famous one.

 If Panesar dominated the final session, Pietersen prevailed in the first two. With one sizeable blip at the end of their innings when they lost four wickets for seven runs and one oddity before lunch England consolidated their overnight position with a flourish.

 A breathtaking Pietersen century and a whiff of controversy often go hand in hand but this time there was no connection between the two. Pietersen overshadowed the incredible Cook, who, as well as joining all those English giants at the tender age of 27, holds a record of his own by hitting a century in each of his first four Tests as England captain. His 122 was self-effacing and superb. The little controversy concerned the dismissal of Bairstow. He propped forward to Ojha and gave a sharp chance to silly point, where Gambhir took the catch; the Indians celebrated; Bairstow walked off and so did everyone else since it was time for lunch.

 Subsequent TV replays indicated that the ball had just touched the grille of Gambhir’s helmet before the catch was completed. Since the laws state that a batsman cannot be caught off the helmet Andy Flower went to the match referee and the umpires during the interval and asked that Bairstow should be reinstated.

 They informed him that since Bairstow had left the field they could not reverse the decision. The only way that he could continue was if MS Dhoni rescinded the appeal. At Trent Bridge in 2011 Dhoni had been prepared to reinstate Ian Bell, who had been given run-out, when thinking that the ball had crossed the boundary. Here Dhoni declined the opportunity to withdraw the appeal during the break in play.

 The Indian captain should not be castigated for that. Bairstow, had he been quick-witted and sharp-eyed, could have stood his ground. Likewise the umpires just might have sought guidance from the third umpire. Once neither of those things had happened, it made sense for the dismissal to stand. We are accustomed to a few errors in this DRS-free contest.

 Bairstow’s dismissal took the gloss off an excellent morning session for England. On 97 Cook had compiled his 1000th Test run of the year. A crisp cover drive off Harbhajan Singh and he joined the august trio of centurions, soon to become a quintet. Not for the first time Pietersen reached three figures from just 127 balls with a reverse sweep.

 

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