First Test Match, Chennai
England 229-5 (A J Strauss 123, A N Cook 52) v India

Andrew Strauss showed England what was possible here today with a fighting century. But India's bowlers still at least shared the honours - and stole them clean away, according to their mischievous spin magician Harbhajan Singh.

With Strauss and opening partner Alastair Cook putting two weeks of uncertainty behind them by compiling a stand of 118, it would have been easy to forget that Kevin Pietersen's team had spent the past fortnight worrying about security issues and fretting over a lack of preparation since the Mumbai terror attack.

But, for reasons as much to do with some brilliant bowling from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan as to do with caution, England finished round one of the First Test on a rocky 229 for five.

Strauss, last out for 123 after nearly six hours of hard graft, admitted he was still "seething" at being dismissed seven overs from the end. "I felt comfortable and I wanted to go big," said the Middlesex man, who then set the remaining batsmen a big challenge.

"We need to get up to 350 or 400 really and we would like to be two wickets less than we are. But we still have some pretty good batsmen to come."

Having sent in Jimmy Anderson as a nightwatchman to join Andrew Flintoff, England could easily have been six down by the close. But it will be mainly up to their all-rounder, plus Matt Prior and Graeme Swann, to get the sort of total Strauss has in mind - and make Harbhajan eat a few words.

"If we were batting we would have got more than 300 runs on this pitch in the first day," said the spinner, who seldom wastes an opportunity to wind up the opposition. "They played defensively and did not look to score runs.

"We played to our game plan and England helped us by blocking a lot of balls. Normally this is the type of pitch where you go after the bowling."

Strauss and Cook were undeniably cautious after Pietersen won an important toss. And the senior opener didn't attempt to use the absence of a proper build-up to this series as a reason, even suggesting he was "feeling fresh".

But given the slowness of the pitch, the accuracy of India's pace and spin attack and the knowledge that England could not afford to waste an opportunity to put runs on the board, Strauss and Cook had to make every effort to build a platform.

After five jam-packed stadia during the one-day series, there were maybe only 5,000 spectators to witness the start of a series many thought would never happen after events in Mumbai.

Among those present, though, was a small contingent of Barmy Army fans and they were just happy to see Strauss and Cook keep out the new ball, even if only 63 runs came from the first session.While the wily Zaheer hit the spot straight away, Ishant Sharma posed a bigger threat to show why he was man of the series against Australia.

But here neither of those two could break through, prompting the introduction of finger spinner Harbhajan after just eight overs and leg-break bowler Amit Mishra before lunch.

It did not take Harbhajan long, either, to unsettle Strauss, who kicked one ball away in unconvincing fashion before missing an attempted sweep. Cook, though, prevented the Sikh from building too much early pressure with a cover-driven boundary and then his partner greeted Mishra's arrival with two confidently-swept fours.

There were still some miscues, it has to be said, and although the pair made it to lunch unscathed they were nearly parted during this afternoon's second over when Strauss was lured into an attempted drive outside off stump against Mishra.

The resulting edge ended in Rahul Dravid's hands at slip but TV umpire Suresh Shastri ruled, quite rightly, that the ball had probably been squeezed into the ground off the bottom of the bat. It was mighty close, though.

Unfazed, Strauss soon cut Harbhajan for four and then dealt with Mishra in similar fashion after completing a 104-ball half-century. And with Cook sweeping the leg-spinner to reach the same milestone - off two more deliveries - England were nicely into three figures before life became difficult.

Cook has now passed 50 on seven occasions since scoring a century in Sri Lanka a year ago without turning any of them into three figures.

This time, the Essex batsman top-edged an attempted sweep against Harbhajan high to wide mid-on to bring the curtain down, disappointingly early, on another useful but unfulfilled innings.

Still, with Ian Bell apparently settling in, Strauss close to three figures and only Cook in the out column, England were a happy 164 for one at tea. Zaheer's magnificent spell of 6-3-12-2 after the interval significantly altered the balance of power, however. First, he pinned Bell in front of the stumps with the help of reverse swing, then he bent his back to produce a cracking bouncer which Pietersen (below) could only top edge back to him after attempting to hook.

Now, suddenly, England were in a spot of bother. And while Paul Collingwood was the victim of a wretched decision from umpire Billy Bowden, who ruled that the Durham man had inside-edged to short-leg when in fact he missed the ball by inches, there was an air of inevitably about the visitors losing a fourth wicket.

Even worse, they handed over a fifth with Strauss - having hit 15 fours during a 233-ball stay - prodding a return catch to Mishra.

This pitch should take increasing turn. But Harbhajan does not think that will help England. "We have very good batsmen who can bat against the top spinners," said the cheeky chappie. "They have done well against Shane Warne and Murali so Monty and the other spinners are not a threat."

Over to you, Mr Panesar?