Ian Bell and Kevin Pieterson helped themselves to runs as they made England's highest partnership against India as they took complete control of the fourth Test at The Oval.
England were on the back foot when the duo came together despite starting the day 75-0. Alastair Cook was caught behind after just the fifth ball and Andrew Strauss added just 1 run in the first 50 minutes, then lost his wicket just 1 run later.
Bell and Pieterson came in and steadied the ship for England. In near perfect batting conditions they sapped all life out of India with huge hundreds in a spectacular partnership of 350 on the second day.
Pieterson made 175 and Bell finished not-out on 181 - his fourth Test century of the summer - as England finished the day on a dominant 457-3.
Both players went past 150 in the days final hour as they passed Graham Gooch and Allan Lamb's partnership of 308 set against India at Lord's in 1990, and posted England's seventh highest partnership against any team.
The partnership hurt India more than any other in the series as they had dominated the opening session with a vastly improved bowling and fielding effort.
They took the first wicket of the day with just the 5th ball and stopped England scoring a run until the last ball of the 4th over. When Strauss fell having added only 2 runs to his overnight total of 38 in 32 balls, India would have been looking to run through England's middle order.
With India looking to tighten their grip on England for the first time since the start of the second Test, Bell and Pieterson started cautiously. They batted through till lunch with just one scare as Pieterson's glance of his hips fell just short of Suresh Raina at leg slip.
After the interval England stretched their wings and batted flawlessly as they regained control of the Test and put India's bowlers to the sword.
The duo marked their intentions early after the break as they notched up 59 runs off just 60 balls. Pieterson than forcefully dispatched two Amit Mishra full tosses for four and Bell brought up his fifty with four boundaries in five balls.
With England back in dominant control that they have had all through the series there was never any doubt that both men would make three figures.
Surprisingly Bell got there first with Pieterson joining him with the first ball after tea as he pulled the ball to the fence for four.
Pieterson tried the same shot the very next ball, however he top-edged but was dropped by Gautam Gambhir as he ran back from mid-on banging his head in the process.
This did not stop the England rampage as Pieterson stroked ball after ball to the boundary when he was finally outshone by Bell who smashed two consecutive sixes down the ground off the poor bowling of Mishra.
Finally India got their third and final wicket of the day as Pieterson was out the next ball after hitting his 27th four as he was caught and bowled.
Jimmy Anderson came in as night-watchman, and with Morgan, Bopara, Prior and Bresnan still to bat England will look to pass 700 and will be confident of taking 20 Indian wickets ensuring that once again they will not have to bat twice and with it wrapping up a 4-0 series whitewash.
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