Peng's century pegs back Indians

By S. Dinakar

CHENNAI, JAN. 20. To put it simply, England's gameplan worked. The idea was to stay positive against the Indian spinners, and with Nicky Peng seizing the initiative with a strokeful hundred, the visitors ended a hugely satisfying first day of the second under-19 Test at 286 for three, here, on Saturday.

Indeed, Peng revelled at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (132, 240b, 5x6, 11x4), stepping out to the spinners whenever he spotted an opportunity, and it was only fitting that the opener moved from 97 to 103 with a superbly struck six over mid-wicket off Mulewa Dharmichand, the off-spinner.

``We never get to play so many spinners back home and it is always a challenge to take them on here,'' said a smiling Peng after his effort.

There were useful contributions from captain Ian Bell (61, 114b, 11x4) and Gary Pratt (39 not out, 115b, 3x4) too as England's decision to bat on an easy paced wicket stood vindicated.

At close, Gordon Muchall (14) and the left-handed Pratt were together; the latter, down with an upset stomach, had been a doubtful starter for the match.

Coming back to Peng, the well-built batsman, who turns out for Durham in the English county circuit, this is his second under-19 Test hundred, the first coming against Sri Lanka at Northampton in 2000.

This time around, Vidyut was cut and driven whenever he erred in length, while offie Dharmichand, who gave the ball plenty of air, was repeatedly hit over the top, by Peng and Bell during their crucial 142-run stand for the second wicket.

It must be said though that the two had their share of luck. Peng was dropped twice, Dharmichand putting down a return catch (the ball however hit the stumps catching opener John Sadler out of the crease with the England score on 57), and then Kashinath Khadikar not latching on to an uppish drive at short covers soon after lunch, the Karnataka off-spinner again being the bowler to suffer. Peng was 72 then. And, Bell was let off on 8 by Vinayak Mane in the second slip as the batsman edged medium pacer Siddarth Trivedi.

Sadler was looking good for more when the unfortunate run-out ended his tenure abruptly, Bell jumped out to Ishan Ganda, bowling off-spin, only to see Dharmichand accept the catch at covers, and Peng's top-edged sweep off Vidyut was taken by Ishan at short-fine leg.

India went into the Test with an unchanged eleven, while England made three changes, batsman Kadeer Ali, medium pacer Kyle Hogg and left-arm spinner Robert Ferley making way for Sadler and Muchall, both batsmen and pace-bowling all-rounder Chris Tremlett.

The scores: England under-19 - Ist Innings: John Sadler (run out) 22, Nicky Peng c Ishan Ganda b Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan 132, Ian Bell c Dharmichand b Ishan Ganda 61, Gary Pratt (not out) 39, Gordon Muchall (not out) 14, Extras (b- 1, w-5, nb-12) 18, Total (for three wkts. in 95 overs) 286.

Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-199, 3-251.

India under-19 bowling: S. Trivedi 10-4- 40-0; N. Agarwal 8-1-20- 0; Vidyut 30-7-79-1; M. Dharmichand 30-6- 96-0; K. Khadkikar 8-2- 17-0; I. Ganda 8-0-31-1; G. Gambhir 1-0-2- 0.

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