Yuvraj laughs off Pietersen jibes

Yuvraj said he and Pietersen are great friends away from the pitch

Yuvraj Singh was happy to return Kevin Pietersen's taunts after he scored 39 runs off 40 balls to help put India on top at the end of day four.

Earlier, the England captain had called Yuvraj a "pie-chucker" but the Indian said for a supposedly bad bowler, he seemed to have a jinx over Pietersen.

"They told me it meant I was a useless bowler so it shows KP hates getting out to me," he said afterwards.

"Getting out to a useless bowler five times is useless batting, I'd say."

But Yuvraj said he has full respect for Pietersen, who scored 144 in England's first innings, and he relished their personal duel.

"He's a phenomenal player and batted like a champion," he said.

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"If you see his record he's got 15 hundreds in 48 Test matches and that's a phenomenal record.

"He tried to get under my skin in the last game and that brought out the best in me and I tried the same and I brought out the best in him.

"There's good competition on the field but I don't have a habit of washing dirty linen away from the field or in public, but I like that name!

"Myself and KP are good friends off the field but on the field I'm not there to make friends because we're playing for our countries. There's healthy competition out there, there's no bad-mouthing."

Following Pietersen's dismissal at the end of day three, the skipper had said of the part-time slow left-armer: "He's got me out a couple of times and I'm his so-called bunny but he's not good enough to call anyone his bunny.

His action is useless, but if he works hard on his bowling he can be a good bowler - I'll give him some tips if he comes to me

Yuvraj Singh on Kevin Pietersen

"I'd rather face a pie-chucker like him all day than Zaheer Khan with the new ball."

But Yuvraj responded on the pitch on day four and in the news conference after - joking at the bowling action of the England captain, who is temporarily unable to bowl because of a rib injury.

"I've got a better action," claimed Yuvraj.

"His action is useless, but if he works hard on his bowling he can be a good bowler - I'll give him some tips if he comes to me, I'll tell him how to bowl in the rough!"