Sids has Pietersen where he wants him

PETER Siddle has reactivated ‘‘Kevin’s curse’’, as Australia continues its seemingly inevitable march towards regaining the Ashes.

A Kevin Pietersen brain explosion put Australia further on top in the third Test at Perth’s WACA Ground, with England going to stumps on the second day at 4-180, still trailing by 205. For the 10th time in his career and the last three times in this series, Pietersen has fallen to Siddle as the former South African attempted to break the shackles.

Awild slog to a short ball outside off stump saw Mitchell Johnson leap high for a fine catch at mid-on when Pietersen was just 19.

He now has just 120 runs at an average of 24 in the series.

Australia’s bowling coach Craig McDermott claimed Siddle now had a psychological hold over Pietersen.

‘‘I think it plays on anybody’s mind. Some guys don’t like facing certain bowlers, some guys don’t like bowling to certain batsmen,’’ McDermott said.

‘‘It’s worked out well in Sids’ at this stage. He just bowls very tight lines to Pietersen, and has good patience. (Pietersen) was 4 off 40 balls and he was digging himself a fair hole from my perspective. And then he started playing a shot a ball.

‘‘Sids has just tied him down time and time again and then the release valve comes and Sids cracks him open. That’s great for us and we hope that continues.’’

Life is only going to become tougher for England, particularly having to bat last on a wicket baked by 40 degree heat that is continuing to crack.

‘‘There’s a couple in line with the stumps, so that’s going to play havoc on batsmen’s minds,’’ McDermott said.

‘‘It (the ball) may never even hit those cracks.

‘‘Again, that’s a psychological thing from a bowler’s point of view.

‘‘It may be better that we’re bowling last on it because the cracks will be even wider, so it will be great.’’

While Pietersen and England captain Alastair Cook were together, it appeared England would mount a serious challenge but they fell within 10 runs of each other.

Desperate for the big hundred that would drag England back into the Test and impose himself on the series, Cook battled hard for almost four hours, gathering 72 before cutting a delivery from spinner Nathan Lyon to David Warner at backward point.

It was Cook’s highest score of the series but not enough to make a significant difference.

The demise of Cook made Pietersen’s shot a short time later even more difficult to fathom.

Cook and Michael Carberry had England’s highest opening partnership of the series yesterday, which wasn’t difficult given their previous best was 28.

They added 85 before a late attempted leave from Carberry (43) chopped a delivery from Ryan Harris into the stumps.