In a matter of hours, Kevin Pietersen went from playing his most un-Pietersen-like innings to covering himself in glory, helping England set up a timely declaration on Day 2 of the Lord's Test. While his name would be up on the Lord's honours board for the sixth time, it would be the first for Praveen Kumar.
The seamer toiled through 23 overs to complete a richly deserved maiden fiver while India were let down again by their more experienced Test bowlers in Zaheer Khan's absence. After 18 wicketless overs yesterday, Praveen took 5-60 today when the sun firmed the wicket up helping him add a yard in speed to go with his ever-present swing.
Abhinav Mukund and Gautam Gambhir survived some anxious moments in fading light, taking India to 17-0 in reply to England's 474-8. The wicket is expected to remain good for batting, thanks to a hovercraft-like cover used here at Lord's, which allows very little breakage to happen.
Pietersen, 22 overnight, laboured his slowest Test fifty and hundred today off 216 balls. At tea, he snapped himself awake and proceeded to plunder India. He clubbed 4, 6, 2 and 4 off consecutive balls off Suresh Raina to complete his second hundred of the day off a mere 110 balls more --- including 44 off the last 17. He had gone three years without a hundred in England.
Matt Prior (71 off 93) and Ian Bell (45 off 76) pumped up England's dreary run-rate today while Pietersen blocked one end up. Beyond Praveen, India's bowling looked so harmless, the only time Pietersen looked out of place was when MS Dhoni brought himself on first up after lunch.
Dhoni's first ball rapped Pietersen on the pads just outside off-stump, saving him from an LBW shout. A couple of overs later, Billy Bowden upheld a caught-behind giving what would have been Dhoni's first Test wicket. But Pietersen saved himself by calling for a review. HotSpot showed no signs of an edge.
Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma bowled 67 overs between them, conceding a massive 280 runs without a single wicket. Ishant continued to be inconsistent with his length, which was predominantly short. Harbhajan found no turn or bounce on this wicket. Around the wicket or over it, he couldn't find a way to stop Pietersen from adding 110 with Bell and 120 with Prior without breaking a sweat.
Praveen's brilliance was India's only positive for the day. In the morning session, in conditions perfect for batting and Pietersen going strong with Jonathan Trott, Praveen produced the magic ball. It was a sharp in-swinger which hit Trott in front of leg-stump and a wicket fell against the flow of things.
Praveen nearly had Pietersen in the same spell when he flicked one down to Rahul Dravid at leg-slip. Dravid gestured he wasn't sure if the catch was clean. Replays suggested the ball had bounced before reaching Dravid, so Pietersen stayed.
Back with the new ball, Praveen then removed Bell with a beautifully shaped out-swinger edged to Dhoni. In the same over, he had Eoin Morgan caught behind. HotSpot showed no edge on the bat, but Morgan walked straightaway. The word is that Morgan says he had edged it.
As England rebuilt with Prior and Pietersen, Praveen took the old ball and managed to swing it big as well. Two consecutive out-swingers --- one going away from Prior and one swinging into Broad --- suddenly gave Praveen his fiver and put him on a hat-trick, prevented by Graeme Swann who kept the in-swinging yorker out.
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