BIRMINGHAM: Alastair Cook's 182 not out led England into a commanding position against India on the second day of the third Test at Edgbaston here on Wednesday.At stumps, England were 456 for three for in reply to India's mediocre 224 -- a lead of 232 runs.
Cook's fellow left-hander Eoin Morgan was unbeaten on 44 in a fourth-wicket stand so far worth 82.
England were in complete control as they pursued a win that would give them both an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the four-Test series and see them replace India at the top of the ICC's Test Championship table.
Cook's ton was his 19th in Tests and only five players -- Walter Hammond, Colin Cowdrey, Geoffrey Boycott (22 each), Ken Barrington and Cook's mentor Graham Gooch (both 20) -- have now made more for England than the 26-year-old Essex opener, currently playing in his 71st match at this level.
Cook's latest century, his first of a series where he'd managed just 20 runs in four previous innings, also saw him equal the records of both England great Len Hutton and current captain Andrew Strauss.
Together with fellow left-handed opener Strauss, Cook shared a first-wicket stand of 186 before the skipper fell for 87 to leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
He then put on 122 with Kevin Pietersen, who made a dashing 63, including a superb straight driven six off Mishra.
England started the day's final session on 319 for two, a lead of 95 runs, with Cook 129 not out and Pietersen unbeaten on 36.
Pietersen completed his fifty in an Ishant Sharma over where he scored 14 runs, including three boundaries with the best a clip from outside off-stump through midwicket.
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