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UPDATE 4-Cricket-Cook slams ton on debut to put England on top

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By N.Ananthanarayanan

NAGPUR, India, March 4 - England opening batsman
Alastair Cook stroked a century on his test debut to power his
team towards possible victory over sloppy India in the first
test on Saturday.

England reached 297 for three at stumps to extend their
overall lead to 367 on a slow Nagpur pitch where India will have
to bat most of the last day to save the match.

The 21-year-old Cook was 104 not out, displaying his class
after arriving as a late call up for injury-depleted England.

The left-handed Essex batsman, who made 60 in the first
innings, was dropped on 70 and 91 as the hosts compounded their
woes by grassing four chances, three of them sitters.

Cook struck 12 fours in his 343-ball knock lasting over six
hours.

He shared in three major partnerships, including a racy
124-run effort for the third wicket with Kevin Pietersen, who
lashed a chancy 87.

At the close, Paul Collingwood, dropped on four, was on 36.

Resuming on 322 for nine, India added one run before seamer
Matthew Hoggard trapped last man Shantakumaran Sreesanth leg
before, ending India's response to the tourists 393.

The Yorkshireman returned figures of six for 57 after
claiming his sixth five-wicket innings haul in tests.

CALM COOK

Cook once again was a picture of calm after being called up
from the A tour in West Indies because of a captain Michael
Vaughan's knee injury and the departure of vice captain Marcus
Trescothick for personal reasons.

He added 95 runs for the first wicket with fellow
left-hander Strauss before left-arm paceman Irfan Pathan led a
brief fightback to have Strauss and Ian Bell (1) caught behind
off successive deliveries to make it 97 for two.

Pietersen survived the first ball from Pathan, but India let
themselves down with their shocking catching and fielding.

The batsman appeared lucky on 10 after the third umpire
turned down leg spinner Anil Kumble's appeal for a return catch
despite slow motion replays suggesting that the batsman had
scooped the ball.

Kumble was again in anguish after Pietersen miscued to deep
extra cover on 51 where Sreesanth dropped the skier.

Pietersen then cut loose against Kumble and hit him for
three consecutive boundaries, including a six over midwicket
until he miscued him to be caught at backward short leg.

He also struck 14 fours in his 110-ball effort.

Off spinner Harbhajan then dropped a simple return catch
from Cook on 70 and again watched in dismay when captain Rahul
Dravid put him down in the slips on 91.

Cook cut Harbhajan for four past cover to reach triple
figure soon after, jumping in delight before he was embraced by
Collingwood.

"It's the adrenalin that gets you through," Cook said. "It
was a great feeling when that ball went through for four."

Collingwood, first innings top scorer with 134 not out, was
dropped by Mohammad Kaif at midwicket off Harbhajan.

England are aiming to win a test series in India for the
first time in 21 years and play three tests and seven
one-dayers.

The second test starts in Mohali on Thursday.

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