England sit pretty at the top after Pietersen double

“Fordy’s a legend,the work I did with him in South Africa was amazing,” Pietersen said. “The two or three little things that we worked on in South Africa have got me back to where I used to play. When you’re batting for that amount of time,you find a pace where you go through,” he added. “The key to what I’ve done is the little things I’ve worked on.”

“I do love the big occasion,I do love challenging myself against the best players in the world,” Pietersen said. “When it gets tough I love that,and it’s been pretty tough over the last 18 months but this is a challenge I’ve really looked forward to. It’s something where you get up in the morning as an English cricketer and think this is what it’s made of,to know that we were quietly confident that we could come out here and do a really good job,or a lot better than last time.

“That gets your juices flowing. I remember leaving Heathrow airport (for Australia) thinking this will be amazing. If that can’t get you going,nothing will get you going. It’s not been frustrations,I just set myself high standards,and to get 80s,90s,99,60s,50s does my head in,” he said. “It’s not been the best time. You go through your career,you have good stuff and bad stuff. I’ve had a lot of good stuff fortunately and a little bit of bad stuff. It’s gone now,I’m looking forward.”

Targeting a new high

At stumps he was just 13 runs off his highest Test score of 226,set against the West Indies in May 2007. England,following their 517/1 declared in the second innings of the first Test at Brisbane,has now passed 500 in consecutive innings for the first time against Australia. Despite a sore hamstring,which the South African-born batsman insists is not a problem,Pietersen reached his double century with a quick single to mid off and then punched the air and saluted the England fans at the Adelaide Oval.

Alastair Cook was the first batsman to be dismissed on the third day when he inside-edged Ryan Harris behind to Brad Haddin for 148. The Englishman had gone 1,057 minutes without losing his wicket,going back to his second innings of 235 not out at the drawn first Test in Brisbane. Paul Collingwood fell after lunch out lbw to Shane Watson for 42.

Harris and a tired-looking Watson have been the only bowlers to pose any threat at all for Australia,with Doug Bollinger proving as expensive and wayward as the left-arm quick bowler he replaced,Mitchell Johnson. Australia’s hat-trick hero of the first Test,Peter Siddle,has also struggled so far,with Pietersen seemingly pulling him to the legside boundary at will. Spinner Xavier Doherty has figures of 0/120 off 24 overs despite signs of turn in the pitch and looks to be less of a threat than second-string spin option Marcus North. Australia were all out for 245 in its first innings,with James Anderson taking 4/51. England got off to a terrible start with Andrew Strauss bowled by Bollinger for 1 before Cook and Jonathan Trott (78) began England’s impressive response.

Brief scores: Australia 245 vs England 551/4 (Alastair Cook 148,Kevin Pietersen batting 213,Jonathan Trott 78,Paul Collingwood 42,Ian Bell batting 41; Ryan Harris 2/84)