 |  If we can get wickets early tomorrow and put them under pressure we're in with a good shout |
Paul Collingwood said the memory of missing his maiden Test ton in Lahore last year had driven him to a century in the first Test against India. He was eighth man out for 96 in Pakistan last November but on Thursday he stayed with the tail to hit an unbeaten 134 and help England to 393.
He said: "In Lahore I didn't quite get to three figures and today it happened.
"The tail-enders did a fantastic job to help me along and once I got to the nineties I wanted to make sure of it."
Collingwood, who played experienced spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble with great skill in the latter part of his innings, added: "The ball wasn't turning too much.
"I wanted to play attacking cricket so when they brought the field in for the last few balls of each over I thought I would take them on.
"I had to play quite a gritty innings early doors because it wasn't easy to time your shots and it wasn't easy to penetrate the field.
"I just had to play to the situation and obviously it went well. To get close to 400 was a great effort by everyone."
England were 267-8 until Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar helped Collingwood boost the total to a respectable 393.
India batsmen Wasim Jaffer and Rahul Dravid spoilt the party to some degree, however, in an unbroken stand of 125 which left the hosts 136-1 at stumps.
Collingwood said two wickets in the final session would have completed a perfect day for England but he remained typically upbeat.
He said: "We got them one down. We would like to have had another two wickets but if we can get those wickets early on Friday and put them under pressure we're in with a good shout."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
