Kevin Pietersen emerged from a disappointing run of recent form to claim a crucial century and guide England into a commanding lead in the opening npower Test against India this afternoon.

By his own lofty standards, the Hampshire batsman has struggled with only 42 runs in three innings during the one-day series against West Indies and with only one half-century in his last five Test innings.

But he broke that run with a superb 134, his ninth Test century, to help England recover from losing three wickets during the morning session of the fourth day at Lord's and guide them into a 379-run lead before being dismissed for 282.

Resuming 174 ahead on 77 for two, England slumped into trouble with left-arm seamer Rudra Pratap Singh claiming three for 10 in 15 balls to remove captain Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell.

Pietersen teamed up with wicketkeeper Matt Prior, however, to forge a crucial 119-run stand off 149 balls to leave India requiring a record winning total for a fourth innings at Lord's, which would eclipse the previous best of 344 for one chasing 342 by West Indies in 1984.

Singh struck in his second over to remove Vaughan, who had progressed to 30 but failed to pick his inswinger and played onto his off-stump, and two overs later he surprised Collingwood with a bouncer which he gloved to VVS Laxman at second slip.

He completed his three-wicket burst by also dismissing new batsman Bell when he mis-judged the bounce of a short delivery and got a bottom edge onto his stumps as he attempted to pull.

But India could not halt Pietersen's defiance and he claimed his century off 148 balls, which included a six and 12 fours, and dominated the crucial sixth-wicket stand with Prior.

That partnership was broken with left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan having Prior caught behind for 42 while Hampshire debutant Chris Tremlett was dismissed for his second successive duck next ball when the ball bounced onto his stumps after a defensive stroke.

Ryan Sidebottom blocked the hat-trick ball, an attempted yorker, but edged Anil Kumble to slip and Singh wrapped up the remaining two wickets to claim five for 59 and a place on the Lord's honours board.