India v England: Cook will set huge century record, says Pietersen
India v England: Kevin Pietersen heaps praise on Alastair Cook after the skipper scored his third successive century
Kevin Pietersen believes Alastair Cook will end up in a league of his own in terms of England centuries, with the pair’s exploits leaving the tourists in control after day three of the second Test.
Cook eventually fell for 122 – his fourth successive century on the sub-continent – while Pietersen was ousted for an impressive 186.
England posted a first-innings total of 413, giving Cook’s men a lead of 86 runs, with Monty Panesar and Graeame Swann taking a combined seven wickets to reduce India to 117-7, leaving the tourists on the brink of victory.
“Alastair Cook will comfortably surpass any hundred [total] that anybody else who plays for England [gets],” Pietersen told BBC Sport.
“He is a super player, he is a super guy. He should go on to score thousands and thousands of more runs.”
He added: “He should be, he definitely should [become England’s most prolific centurion].
“He’s only 27. He’s a young pup, he is fit. He has a great head. He is very calm and nobody should beat him.”
Meanwhile, Pietersen insisted he would not revel in his 186 runs until England wrap up victory in the second Test in Mumbai.
“It is really nice to get a hundred for England. [It] will mean a lot more if we get the win on Monday. It is a great feeling,” he said.
“Any Test match hundred that you end up being on the winning side, is a lot better than being on the losing side.”
