Pietersen winning his fitness battle to play at Old Trafford

Pietersen’s readiness was put to a stern test yesterday morning, for the second day running, as he continues his recovery from the calf strain which interrupted his participation in the latter stages of England’s 347-run victory in the second Investec Test at Lord’s.

Alastair Cook’s team therefore have an opportunity, in the third match of five starting at Emirates Old Trafford today, to clinch the urn for a third successive time.

The captain made it clear, after Pietersen had batted for 50 minutes in the indoor nets and then satisfied the medics with shuttle runs outdoors as the rain temporarily cleared, that he expects England’s game-changer to take part against Australia.

The contingency for the hosts is a return for James Taylor, selected as Pietersen’s batting cover in a 14-man squad, for his third Test having fallen out of favour after also helping to deputise for the same player – in differing circumstances – at Lord’s last year. But whoever joins forces for England this week, Cook is adamant each batsman must play to his own strengths and will not be briefed to try to adapt his skills to make up for the absence of another.

Asked how he rates the chances of Pietersen playing after all here, Cook said: “Pretty good.

“He has gone through training the last two days and done everything we’ve asked of him.” England’s captain was characteristically cautious, but tellingly optimistic.

“Clearly we have to make that decision tomorrow morning, in case he pulls up differently, but we’re pretty hopeful,” he added.

“We don’t know quite how he will pull up from today’s training. But he’s worked incredibly hard with the medical team over this last week to get himself right, so fingers crossed he has.”

Taylor’s methods, especially perhaps at this formative stage of his international career, are notably more conservative than those of instinctive agitator Pietersen. But Cook will be asking none of his specialist batsmen to do anything but be themselves.

“Kev’s a bit of a one-off... he has the ability to win games of cricket very quickly on his own,” Cook added.

“That hundred in Mumbai (last November) sums it up – not many people could have played an innings like that in those conditions. But you’ve got to be very strong on yourselves, that you can’t play like someone else.”

England have had to get by without Pietersen several times over the past 12 months, either because of his contractual difficulties last summer or more recently due to injuries in New Zealand, so they have therefore had to get used to raising their game without him.

“Just because KP doesn’t play a Test match or a one-day game, you can’t ask people to bat like him,” Cook added. “They are picked on their strengths, and that’s the way they play to score the runs they get picked (for). You can’t adjust that.”

Neither does Cook countenance the suggestion of being more prepared to gamble on the fitness of a key player than one who might be more easily replaced.

“We value everyone exactly the same,” he said. “It’s a tough game to go in if you’re not 100 per cent fit. You have to be there or thereabouts, because if it flares up you leave the team at a disadvantage. It’s hard enough to win with 11 players, let alone 10 if one’s not fit. You’re either fit or you’re not – it doesn’t matter who you are.”

Whoever is in the England dressing room from today onwards, there will be no talk yet about the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash.

“It’s very dangerous to start thinking like that,” Cook continued.

“We are a very good side when we take games one step at a time, and the only thing we can concentrate on is this Old Trafford Test match – not what’s gone before and not what’s going to come.”

What have gone before are victories at Trent Bridge and then Lord’s, the first thrillingly narrow and the second by a landslide. Cook concedes England stand on the verge of history – a third successive Ashes series win for the first time in more than 30 years and a fifth straight Test victory over Australia dating back to 2010-11.

But he warns that sort of stargazing will not be tolerated yet, and takes issue with the notion that England might be in a “comfort zone” against these opponents.

“We’ve put ourselves in a good position in the series,” he added.

“But in those two games, we’ve had to work very hard throughout those 10 days of cricket – and that won’t change in this Test match.

“We know how hard it is to get a Test match win. We’ve got ourselves in a good position, but that counts for nothing going into tomorrow’s play.”

If Pietersen is fit, England are more than likely to stick with their winning team – although the pace of Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar’s inclusion in the squad as an extra spinner provide added options at a venue which could play to the strengths of both.

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