Strauss makes his point for England

CRICKET/INDIA v ENGLAND, FIRST TEST:ANDREW STRAUSS was the first player to emphasise that England had an obligation to return to India after the savagery of Mumbai and he marked one of the most politically significant Tests in history by taking that sense of duty on to the field of play. His 13th Test century, a disciplined 123 spanning nearly six hours, is assured of its place in history.

"It is an important Test match for the game of cricket and to be able to play such a role in it was pretty special," Strauss said. "I didn't have much mental anguish - I decided fairly quickly that it was important to come back if the security was right. But to be able to concentrate on the cricket was a relief. You are travelling back to ground you have been on before. It made me feel refreshed and focused."

Whether Strauss's efforts will lead to an England victory is more dubious. They turned up, and for that they deserve credit, but to lose four wickets after tea and close the first day at 229-5 was a waste of an excellent toss.

"It was a hard slog to get out of net mode into Test mode but this was a flat wicket," Strauss said. It looks like it will break up and I think spinners will play an increasingly dominant part in the game."

Strauss proved that given a sound pitch and a determination to bat within strict parameters it was possible to rise above the upheaval of the past fortnight. He became the first England batsman to score a Test hundred on this ground since Chris Lewis in 1993.

This time, for all Strauss's best efforts, England's innings went to pot. A controlled opening stand of 118 between Strauss and Alastair Cook encouraged visions of 500, but as soon as Cook was dismissed, failing to loft Harbhajan Singh over midwicket, uncertainty set in. Strauss fell seven overs before the close, working a return catch to the leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

To be a spectator at the Chidambaram Stadium was in itself a commitment to cricket. No bottles of water, no food, no mobiles, no bags.

The pitch was sluggish and India turned to Harbhajan's off-spin within eight overs. But the groundsman's insistence that the surface is a week under-prepared warns that this will not turn out to be the sort of mind-numbing surface as the last Test in March when South Africa made 540 in their first innings and India responded with 627.

Strauss and Cook made 63 on a sedate morning session, both left-handers relying heavily on nudges and sweeps down the legside, Strauss not scoring a single run on the offside before lunch.

Strauss needed television replays to survive on 36 when he scraped a ball from Amit Mishra to Rahul Dravid at first slip. It was against Mishra that England began to progress, Cook lofting him confidently into the deep to reach his half-century, but that was his last scoring shot as he tried to treat Harbhajan in the same dismissive manner and skied to wide mid-on.

From 164-1 at tea, England lost four wickets in the final session as the spinners begin to make the odd one bounce and Zaheer and Sharma found reverse-swing. Ian Bell's growing number of detractors will not be appeased by his departure. Zaheer had him lbw to the bowler's second ball, playing a slack shot.

Pietersen was out of sorts throughout his half-hour stay, as disorientated as Strauss was orderly, a captain who had spoken of sleepless nights during the stress of the past two weeks. His first sign of adventure, a botched pull against Zaheer, brought his downfall.

Someone else who looked in sore need of acclimatisation was Billy Bowden, the New Zealand umpire, a late replacement for Asad Rauf, who had to withdraw when he was unable to update his city-specific visa. Cricket's respect for its umpires is rightly treasured, but Bowden's decision against Paul Collingwood, if he was a Premier League referee, would have him banished to the second division.

Collingwood virtually withdrew his bat as he allowed a delivery from Harbhajan to strike his pad. His bat was not within inches, the ball was heading way down the legside. Bowden gave him out. England's position of strength was lost. An invitation for them to attend the Chennai policeman's ball, staged in the team hotel, did not promise to brighten their mood.