“I’ve always believed a hundred was possible… I got pretty close to it (88, in 1996-97 against South Africa), but never thought I’d have to wait for 117 Tests… It’s special…

“There’s a sense of fulfilment in that I’ve achieved what everybody dreams of achieving… Throughout my career I’ve put a price on my wicket… As a bowler, I know how difficult it is to get a wicket…

“I know (Shane) Warne didn’t get a hundred… He came close (99) and the thought that I shouldn’t get out to a slog was very much there…

“We had a team meeting a few days back and I’d mentioned it was about time our batters scored a hundred. I never thought I’d be the one to do so… In fact, at tea, I’d jokingly said it was probably my turn to get a hundred…

“A couple of (specialist) batsmen had come close in the series… I think it was just one of those days when it had to happen… Had (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni curtailed his shots, he would definitely have got those eight runs…

“I didn’t get any message from the dressing room when I was close to the hundred… I’ve played enough Test matches to handle the situation…

“It was important to get a total which would be beyond England… We’ve had a fantastic two days and must now back it up with 19 wickets that remain to be taken… The wicket, of course, is good… I got a hundred!

“How do I intend celebrating? I think we’ll wait for the Test to finish… We’ve got to ensure that we win…”

And, now, dhoni...

“I’m happy I got 92 as it was needed from the team’s point of view… I started playing my natural game after getting past 50… I’d been looking to increase the momentum and my shot-making helped… I was looking to clear the field when I got out… I’d been practising to do that… The initial period (in the morning) was important… Once you have a good start, you can put your game plan into practice… Every run matters and everybody has contributed…”