Tea England 243 for 2 (Cook
113*, Pietersen 51*) v
Bangladesh
Alastair Cook marked his first Test as
captain with a composed and stylish
unbeaten 113 as England reached tea on
a dominant 243 for 2 at Chittagong to
leave Shakib Al Hasan regretting his
decision to bowl.
At the other end Kevin Pietersen began
to put his difficult winter behind him
with a fluent half century, overcoming
the left-arm spin threat, after useful
contributions from Michael Carberry and
Jonathan Trott.
Cook has been quietly impressive with
the bat throughout the tour with brisk
contributions during the one-day
series. He brought that attacking
mindset into the five-day game as he
reached his 11th Test hundred from 148
balls with a slog-sweep for six - a
repeat of the shot that brought him his
first boundary as he doubled his Test
sixes tally in one innings.
A sign of the confidence in Cook's game
was a return of the cover drive which
he shelved in South Africa after his
troubles outside off stump to the quick
bowlers. However, the threat from the
Bangladesh attack was far removed from
that of Dale Steyn and Co. and he
pierced the off side with increasingly
regularity.
He became the fifth England captain to
reach three figures on debut and, if
Andrew Strauss, who himself notched a
ton in his first game in charge, had
woken in the early hours in the UK, he
will have watched contently with the
team in safe hands.
The previous player to match Cook's
feat was Pietersen and he entered under
mounting pressure having endured
another lean run since arriving in
Bangladesh and a continuation of his
poor record against left-arm spinners.
He was soon facing Abdur Razzaq, but it
was a missed opportunity from Shakib
when he did introduce himself straight
away and stuck with Rubel Hossain after
his dismissal of Trott.
Pietersen has spent hours in the nets
working alongside Andy Flower on his
technique against left-arm spinners and
there was a clear tweak in evidence as
he stayed leg-side of the ball rather
that getting squared-up. He laid an
early marker with a fine inside-out
drive past mid off - one of his most
confident shots of the tour - and his
footwork was far more certain. In the
final over before tea he reached his
fifty from 60 balls with the help from
a misfiled as Bangladesh's out-cricket
started to suffer and he'll be aiming
to match Cook's effort in the final
session.
Shakib decision to bowl smacked more of
a captain worried about his own batting
line-up than one really intent on
making the most of early movement. It
quickly became apparent that the
pacemen would have little joy as the
wicketkeeper was taking the ball on the
second bounce in the third over and the
amount of turn suggested batting last
will be tough - although England opted
to leave out James Tredwell.
Carberry, one of two England debutants
alongside Middlesex paceman Steven
Finn, was able to settle any first-Test
nerves with a trio of handsome
boundaries in the fourth over as he
latched onto Rubel and was impressive
off front and back foot. Unsurprisingly
it didn't take long for spin to be
introduced - Bangladesh have four in
the side - with Shakib bringing himself
into the attack in the eighth over and
Cook, who had initially played second
fiddle to Carberry, responded with his
first slog-sweep for six.
Carberry's early fluency dried up
against the offspin of Naeem Islam and
Mahmudullah; he was dropped on 30 by
Mushfiqur Rahim, who endured another
tough day with the gloves, before
missing an expansive sweep without
adding to his total. It was a
disappointing end for Carberry who had
the chance for a significant score, but
the timely strike enlivened the
session.
Trott, despite the criticism he faced
in South Africa, continued to take his
time to prepare at the crease but
looked comfortable following his
hundred in the warm-up match. He moved
along fairly anonymously during the
afternoon session, tucking the spinners
regularly through the leg side, before
receiving a rough decision when a Rubel
bouncer struck his helmet and looped to
Rahim.
However, Bangladesh never threatened to
breakthrough in clusters and with
Pietersen beginning to hit his stride
and Cook well beyond three figures
England are well on track for a massive
total and a position from where there's
no way back for the hosts.
