Kevin Pieterson puts Dhon's spin strategy in a twist as England powers on
England captain Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen compiled contrasting hundreds before India struck back by taking two wickets late in the first session on day three of the second cricket Test here today.
Cook struck his second hundred, 122, in as many innings while Pietersen notched his first of the series as England batted their way to within 29 runs of the home side's first innings total of 327 before India broke the double century stand.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finally brought an end the 206-run third-wicket partnership by sending back Cook with 35 minutes to go for lunch and then Pragyan Ojha, who had taken both visiting team wickets yesterday, claimed Jonny Bairstow to restore the balance for the home team.
At lunch, the visitors looked poised to take the lead and put pressure on the hosts when they were 298 for four with Pietersen going strong on 138 after facing 178 balls and hitting 17 fours and a six.
England set off at a rapid pace as compared to yesterday this morning as Cook and Pietersen raced to their respective 22nd hundreds within a space of 10 minutes.
Cook was the first to complete the landmark with a push to the mid off region off Harbhajan Singh to stand alongside Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Boycott -- all of who scored 22 hundreds in Tests.
It was also the left handed opener's second successive hundred in the series, following his back-to-the-wall 176 atAhmedabad, and by the time he achieved the feat he had
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