Sport

Kevin Pietersen powers England to big total

— Photo: S. Subramanium

CAPTAIN’S KNOCK: Kevin Pietersen was in his element as he notched up a century and piloted his side to a fighting total.

Cuttack: A coveted hundred in Indian conditions was truly his as Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten 111 guided England to 270 for four in 50 overs against India in the fifth ODI of the seven-match series at the Barabati Stadium here on Wednesday night.

The England skipper’s seventh ODI ton (111 n.o., 128b, 10x4, 1x6) was a knock that consolidated upon an initial flourish as he also found support along the way in Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah.

After Dhoni won the toss and opted to field, England’s start was a mixed bag. Brisk runs were marred by the dismissals of both the openers. Ravi Bopara tucked into Irfan Pathan’s first over with dabs to fine-leg. Irfan had replaced Munaf Patel in the Indian team.

Meanwhile Bopara’s partner Alastair Cook, who stepped in for Ian Bell in the England eleven, cut Zaheer Khan fine but a few overs later perished while attempting a repeat and found Sachin Tendulkar’s safe hands at first slip.

Bopara too failed to cash in on his luck after Virender Sehwag dropped a stinger at short-covers off Zaheer and in the same over, opened the bat face, checked his drive and Yuvraj Singh held on at backward point.

At 68 for two in 9.5 overs, England had the initial runs it hoped for but had lost wickets it wanted to preserve.

Pietersen started with a streaky top-edged four while attempting to hook Irfan and then found his fluency through drives on either side as he notched his first 25 runs with six fours and a lone single.

Collingwood, coming in at number four and under pressure to perform, proved to be an apt foil as he and Pietersen strung a third-wicket partnership of 89 runs.

Collingwood used his feet to Yuvraj Singh and flicked Ishant though the run-rate did not increase at the expected rate. The two-paced pitch enabled Dhoni to persist with spin in the middle overs as Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj quickly ran through their overs.

Pietersen too was forced to rely on the nips and tucks but he did find his flourish in a Harbhajan over, striking a four and a six to go past 3,000 runs in ODIs. Harbhajan, however, found relief in the same over as Collingwood failed to clear long-on.

It soon proved to be a double blow as Andrew Flintoff snicked Ishant and was out for a blob in the next over. England at 158 for four, sought momentum from Pietersen and his in-form partner Shah and the captain tried to unsettle the bowlers with his shuffle at the crease.

Pietersen and Shah added an unbeaten 112 runs for the fifth-wicket. Pietersen had a close shave as an intended drive of Ishant took the inner edge and just missed the stumps. But he soldiered on in an innings that added substance to his early sparkle as he banked on the singles and twos as his knock gathered value.

Shah (66 n.o., 57b, 9x4) meanwhile picked Irfan’s slower one and also lashed Ishant twice past flailing fielders in the deep.

Pietersen and Shah, however, stumbled in the batting power-play they opted for from the 41st to the 45th overs.

As Zaheer and Ishant bowled a medley of yorkers, slower deliveries and varied their angles, Pietersen and Shah managed only 32 runs in that phase.

They did marginally better in the last five overs, scoring 42 runs as they moved back and across, creating width and swinging their bats as England posted a total that might be tricky for India to chase under lights and on an outfield high on dew.

SCOREBOARD

Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-68, 3-157, 4-158.

India bowling: Irfan 10-1-57-0, Zaheer 10-1-60-2, Ishant 10-0-54-1, Harbhajan 10-0-47-1, Yuvraj 10-0-38-0.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu