Kevin Pietersen scored his first home century in three years

It was all KP and PK in the first two sessions of the second day. Kevin Pietersen scored his first home century in three years, the slowest of his tons, yet imposing himself on a depleted Indian attack. That England were not in a thoroughly dominant position was down to Praveen Kumar's three wickets in the hamstrung Zaheer Khan's absence.

Pietersen, though, took the honours, scoring 93 of the 178 added today in what still looked like helpful bowling conditions. The way Pietersen is seen at home and by outsiders is a bit like VVS Laxman in his earlier years. When Laxman struggled to make it to the Indian team, the Australians could never figure out why. While Pietersen might be a bit of an individualist with eccentricities that don't always endear him, the rest of the world just can't figure out the scrutiny the English public and media puts him through.

Come big series, tough conditions, early wickets, and he was there to score a century. Don't go by Pietersen's strike-rate of just 47, which was largely down to the in-and-out fields and gradually improved from the 30s. He dominated bowlers other than Praveen and MS Dhoni (yes, Dhoni bowled quick-arm seamers with Rahul Dravid keeping wicket).

Already a three-man attack, India were practically reduced to two when Pietersen played havoc with Ishant Sharma's line and length by moving across and towards the bowler and repeatedly whipping him into the leg side. The general line was so wide not one Ishant delivery to Pietersen was pitched within the stumps. Only two were bowled full: both were edged, one wide of slips, one short of them. Ishant to Pietersen: 82 deliveries, 45 runs. Ishant bowled 24 wicketless overs.

Pietersen hardly stood still to a delivery bowled by the pacers. He had tried the same yesterday for his edgy 22, but today he brought with him the middle of the bat. A defensive India didn't have a short leg in place, and there was no checking Pietersen's movements across the crease. His wagon wheel told the story: in reaching his third straight half-century, he hit only three scoring shots to the off side. He flicked through mid-on and midwicket at will, once again being the more visible partner in the stand with Trott, who managed to add just 12 to his overnight 58.

Trott did become visible soon, when Praveen was brought back for his second spell of the day. England were 160 for 2 then, and the partnership 98. Praveen's first ball to Trott was an accurate inswinger, a surprise delivery he had tried on the first day only to be denied by a bat that came down in time. This time, though, Trott was caught on the crease, the bat a touch late.

While bowling to his former IPL captain, Praveen provided the contest of the day. Pietersen kept moving across, Praveen kept bowling the odd leg-side yorker, trying to get him behind his legs. He even called a leg slip in, and Pietersen flicked straight to that man, only for the ball to fall inches short. He was on 49 then. Praveen couldn't go on forever, and after that testing spell of 6-2-7-1, Pietersen resumed dominating India.

Harbhajan Singh was good to begin with, getting some dip from round the stumps, but once Pietersen lofted a straighter one over mid-off, that bubble burst too. Two flat short deliveries followed, and Ian Bell cut them for fours. Almost unnoticed, Bell sped away to 45 off 76, cutting effectively and playing the cover-drive you might want to play on loop on your ipod.

Pietersen did come close to getting out to Dhoni soon after lunch, but challenged the caught-behind decision successfully. With Zaheer not expected to bowl in this innings, the new ball and Pietersen himself were the biggest obstacles in the way of a century. The new ball he bossed, and also curbed his own proclivity to play ill-advised shots in the 90s. With a picturesque on-drive off Ishant, he reached his century, leaping high after taking two steps down the pitch, and then pumping the air.

Praveen was now about to provide Pietersen reasons to become circumspect again. In another excellent spell, this time with the new ball, he was persistent and accurate with his seam and swing. After two overs of outswingers, he nearly got Bell with the perfect inswinger but for the height. Soon, though, the perfect outswinger would take the edge. Two balls later, another outswinger would kiss Eoin Morgan's inside edge: 270 for 5 looked much more respectable for India than 270 for 3. Praveen proceeded to bowl a few unplayable deliveries to Matt Prior, but the sixth-wicket stand weathered the storm before tea.