Calm Cook puts England in control

Cook and Pietersen punish the Bangladesh decision to put England in to bat [AFP]

Acting England captain Alastair Cook marked his first Test as captain with an unbeaten 158 to put England in control on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.

Cook’s 11th Test century made the hosts regret their decision to bowl first as Cook helped England finish the day on 374-3 with Paul Collingwood unbeaten on 32.

Former skipper Kevin Pietersen finally found some form, although he was out for 99 after adding 170 runs with Cook for the third wicket.

He was deceived by spinner Abdur Razzak with a straight ball that he edged to the third man.

Pietersen had previously only scored 69 runs in seven innings on the tour.

In control

Cook’s 158 came off 244 balls, including 14 boundaries and two sixes. He is filling in as captain for Andrew Strauss, who is resting for this tour.

Pietersen hit 15 boundaries and one six in his 135-ball knock before falling just short of his 17th Test century.

Bangladesh brought their fielders around the bat for the struggling Pietersen, but he showed no sign of nerves and drove Razzak for a cover boundary to get off the mark.

Debutant Michael Carberry (30) and Jonathan Trott (39) were the only two wickets England lost in the first two sessions.

Carberry was out lbw when he missed an attempted sweep off spinner Mahmudullah (1-45).

Day one scorecard

England first innings A Cook not out 158 M Carberry lbw b Mahmudullah 30 J Trott c Rahim b Rubel 39 K Pietersen b Razzak 99 P Collingwood not out 32 Extras 16 Total (three wickets; 90 overs) 374 Fall of wickets: 1-72 2-149 3-319 To bat: I Bell, M Prior, S Broad, G Swann, T Bresnan, S Finn.

Jonathan Trott was next to go when he was caught behind for 39, replays suggesting the short-pitched ball from Rubel struck him on the helmet before flying through to wicketkeeper Rahim.

Curious decision

Bangladesh’s decision to send England in was made to appear curious when the hosts resorted to spin in just the eighth over and used six bowlers in all, four of them spinners.

Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons said his side were now virtually out of the match. 

“I don’t think two teams can win the game from here, I think we are pretty much nearly out of the game, unless we bowl terrifically in the morning, and then we have to bat the house down,” he said.

“We’ve probably put ourselves out of the game which we tend to do a lot in the first day or first session of a game. Our two fast bowlers bowled really poorly and let the team down and our two spinners didn’t put the ball in the right areas. It’s been a difficult day,” Siddons added.

The hosts offered more surprises after captain Shakib Al Hasan called opening batsman Tamim Iqbal to bowl the day’s last over.

Carberry was one of two debutants in the England team, along with Middlesex paceman Steven Finn.

England are the only Test-playing nation to have never lost to Bangladesh in any form of the game.