Pietersen's dubious distinction

Rarely does a batsman gets out twice in the same innings in a cricket match, but England's swashbuckling batsman Kevin Pietersen had this dubious distinction in the first Test against India.

Rarely does a batsman gets out twice in the same innings in a cricket match, but England's swashbuckling batsman Kevin Pietersen had this dubious distinction in the first Test against India at Lord's on Friday.

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Pietersen's name went into the record books for the wrong reasons, thanks to an umpiring error by Simon Taufel on the second day of the match at Lord's.

The Australian Umpire of the Year adjudged Pietersen caught behind off Zaheer Khan but reversed his decision after television replays showed the ball had bounced before it nestled into wicketkeeper MS Dhoni's gloves.

There was a flutter in the ground as Pietersen looked at the England dressing room before crossing the boundary ropes, stopped after seeing his teammates gesture at him, and walked back to the pitch.

Meanwhile, squareleg umpire Steve Bucknor had walked up to Taufel and told him what was all the fuss about.

Taufel promptly contacted the third umpire on the walkie-talkie and soon the giant screen at the ground flashed 'NOT OUT', meaning Pietersen could resume his innings.

But, as luck would have it, Pietersen lasted only two more balls as he was out in same fashion off the first ball of the next over from Zaheer.

The left-arm seamer caught Pietersen's outside edge with a perfect out-swinger and this time there was no doubt as the ball thudded into Dhoni's gloves at waist high.