Cricket: Hussain's timely first Test century

There is never a bad time to score your maiden Test hundred, but Nasser Hussain's at Edgbaston yesterday was not only a personal triumph but could yet be crucial to the outcome of a fascinating first Test. Going into the third day, India are 94 runs behind with all their second-innings wickets standing.

Hussain's 128 dominated England's first-innings total of 313 all out in which the next highest score was a bold 34 by his Essex team-mate Ronnie Irani, making his Test debut. Although Hussain struggled early on and appeared fortunate not to be given out when the Indians thought they had him caught behind when he was 14, his innings gradually assumed the composure and authority that England have long sought in vain from all those who have found batting at No 3 so difficult.

At 28, achievement at the highest level for a player of Hussain's undoubted talent was perhaps overdue. But of his seven previous Tests (highest score: 71), four had been against Australia and three against West Indies. Back in the team after an absence of three years, there is surely no reason now why he cannot build on his success, and that is exactly what he aims to do. "I'm not just going to stop there," he said. "I'll try and improve and make it the first of a few."

Hussain came in to face the third ball of the day after the dismissal of Nick Knight. The Indians bowled tightly all day, and with Mike Atherton soon following, the rest of the middle order failing to establish themselves, and Chris Lewis and Dominic Cork both going for ducks, Hussain was in danger of running out of partners. But first with Min Patel and then with Alan Mullally, he put on 49 for each of the last two wickets. When he brought up his hundred with a single to third man off Venkatesh Prasad an almost-full Edgbaston rose to salute him.

"I didn't really look at the hundred until I got into the 90s, and then I became a bit nervous," Hussain said. "It was a bit of a game of chess trying to farm the strike. And when you're on 98 with nine wickets down, it goes through your head that you might be left stranded. But once I got to 99 I was quite happy. The moment I hit it I was absolutely chuffed. I know it's a cliche, but you always dream of getting a Test hundred, and now it's happened."