“You could be critical and say we would have liked a few more at the end but we would be splitting hairs there. The way Swanny and Monty bowled under pressure to perform was fantastic, especially because we didn’t want to be chasing a lot on that wicket.”
England came into the match after losing the First Test by nine wickets and following a year in which they have been undermined by slow bowling but Cook is encouraged by the way his side have bounced back. He said: “I don’t think it has taken us by surprise. I have been watching what we do in the nets. What is nice is you get a real reward for that. It shows we are on the right track.
“We are not perfect but it is encouraging that the stuff we are doing has borne fruit.”
Pietersen paid tribute to Cook. “He has not spoken about himself much but he is only 27 and got 22 Test hundreds,” he said.
“There is no reason why he shouldn’t get 35 Test hundreds and have a wonderful career. It is special to be part of this team. The dressing room is united. It is fun and we are having a great time on this trip.”
Although Pietersen was named man of the match, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni insisted the award should have gone to Panesar. “If you compare the bowlers, they never bothered the batsmen as much as he did,” he said.
.jpg?crop=8:5,smart&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1000)
