Sri Lanka's off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan compared England's form man Kevin Pietersen to any of the modern day greats after his 142 in the second Test at Edgbaston on Friday.
Pietersen cracked 142 from 157 balls in England's total of 295 to become the first England players since Graham Gooch in 1990 to score hundreds in three consecutive home Tests. No other player in the match has scored more than 30 so far.
Muralitharan claimed six for 86 for his 52nd five-wicket haul in Test cricket although he suffered at along with the other bowlers from the aggressive Pietersen.
The most extraordinary shot was a reverse sweep for six by Pietersen against a Muralitharan full toss. He also scored three boundaries in three balls off him once past his fourth test hundred.
Muralitharan compared Pietersen, 25, with West Indies' Brian Lara, Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq and India's Sachin Tendulkar.
"He played a brilliant innings, out of everyone Kevin played the best innings, he was dominating the bowlers and it was, I think, one of the best innings I've seen," Muralitharan told a news conference at the end of the second day.
"It is challenging to bowl to him. I think he is on top of the world because of the way he is batting. He has got everything in his armoury. His natural game is to be aggressive."
Pietersen refused to say whether it was his best test hundred but said he was pleased that he was starting to convert 50s into centuries.
"I am happy that I am converting my scores, which I didn't do in the winter," he said. "I kicked myself when I got off the plane from India because I didn't get a hundred there.
"I am just trying to set myself high standards and perform to the best of my ability. I know when I am in good nick I have to cash in."
