A superb 158 on the last day at The Oval not only earned a much-needed draw for England but also enabled Michael Vaughan and company to win the Ashes after 18 summers. Pietersen essayed two more centuries in his next two Test innings, including one against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.
A fractured rib cut short his Australian tour the following winter, but not before he had shown flashes of his brilliance to the diehard Aussies. Once he recovered from injury, Pietersen began plundering runs in his inimitable aggressive style, including a scintillating 226 against the West Indies at Headingley before the series against India.
Pietersen is at the peak of his prowess, reminding many of Vivian Richards when the Master Blaster was in top gear and causing bowlers the world over to pass sleepless nights, and considering his naked aggression and voracious appetite for runs, he might achieve some incredible feats in the next few years. He fully deserves them.
Image: Shane Warne shakes hands with Pietersen after the third Ashes Test in Perth on December 18, 2006.
Also see: Pietersen packs a punch
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