Collingwood batted for more than eight hours in Adelaide

The England batsman was out for 96 in the opener in Brisbane last week and resumed on 98 in Adelaide before going on to make his highest score of 206.

"I didn't sleep very well, especially after the last game. I felt like I was up every 20 minutes," he admitted.

"There were a few nerves in the morning but it was a great feeling to put away the second ball and make a big one."

Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen (158) shared a record 310 for the fourth wicket to help the tourists declare on 551-6 before Australia closed on 28-1.

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The duo found it difficult to score freely at times but the Durham star felt they had done the best they could in the circumstances.

"The wicket dictated that, it's a difficult one to up the tempo on and the field placings were pretty defensive as well," Collingwood added.

"We wanted to dig in - it's not an easy wicket to score on - and we got a good score on the board.

"It's been a good two days for us and we have to kick on now."

Meanwhile, former England Test batsman Geoff Boycott, previously an outspoken critic of Collingwood, was full of compliments for the Durham all-rounder's double century.

"I take my hat off to him," he said. "In Brisbane he could have been out about 12 times in the first 10 minutes because of his footwork, but here I don't think he played a false shot until he was on about 170!

"He didn't panic, he played with a clever mind, good footwork, played in his areas and was not overawed by the situation. Fantastic, well played lad!"

Pietersen was left with a feeling of deja vu, having scored 158 against the Aussies in last year's final Ashes Test at The Oval and against Sri Lanka at Lord's this summer.

Although Shane will tell you otherwise, I see it as a moral victory, for him to pack the leg-side field and not attack me at all Pietersen on Warne

When asked if he had a problem getting past the number, he joked: "It's not a bad one to have!

"I was laughing when I got out and thinking 'How can this be?'

"But if someone had chucked that score at me yesterday I would have grabbed it with both hands."

The right-hander won his duel with Hampshire colleague Shane Warne, reducing the master leg-spinner to bowling around the wicket.

Pietersen put his success down to hard work but will guard against complacency.

"I always do a lot of thinking and mental preparation before each series, a couple of weeks beforehand," he explained.

"Although Shane will tell you otherwise, I see it as a moral victory, for him to pack the leg-side field and not attack me at all.

"I've always thought it's not easy to get a bloke out from there but he's a great bowler, the greatest that's walked this planet, and he can get most things right.

"He's bowled some great deliveries from there which have knocked batsmen over and I always have to concentrate and be on my guard."