Matthew Hoggard in action on Day III of the first Test in Nagpur on Friday. The medium-pacer took five for 57. (Reuters)

Nagpur: Matthew Hoggard is savouring “just deserts.”

The first of the three-Test series has still two days to go, but England are enjoying the upper hand, thanks to the Yorkshireman’s brilliant five-wicket haul on Friday.

This is the sixth time Hoggard has taken five or more wickets in an innings (in 47 Tests), and on each occasion England triumphed. Will you be a lucky mascot for England again here? While he attributed his success to bowling in right areas, ability to reverse swing and patience, Hoggard pointed out the battle was still to be won.

“Tomorrow will be another day of hard work for us. We have to go there with a positive frame of mind. It’s still a flat track and we have to take another wicket and then we got to bat exceptionally well. We need to assess at each interval where we stand,” he told the media after the third day’s action.

“To succeed, you got to move the ball laterally here. Thankfully the ball was reversing and we made good use of it. In the end, it’s good to have kept them under three (runs) an over and got our just deserts,” he added.

The 29-year-old, however, didn’t forget to mention Madhusuden Monty Panesar’s role in the team’s hold so far over the match. “It’s always a special moment for anybody who got Sachin Tendulkar out to claim his Test victim. Monty bowled as if he had years of experience. He was duly rewarded with another wicket (Mohammed Kaif) in the last over,” Hoggard remarked.

He, however, explained heat played a part in wrapping up the Indian innings, which recovered through Kaif and Anil Kumble’s eighth-wicket stand of 128 runs.

“The ball got older and the bowlers also tired? this helped the batsmen get settled,” he felt.

Meanwhile, Wasim Jaffer expressed disappointment at missing out on the century. “I saw the ball and thought it was a half-volley. But it was not? I’m really disappointed not to get there (century-mark),” he said, adding though that he’s “honoured” to be back in the national side after four years.

According to him, the team was looking to bat through the day and that plan was spoiled by Hoggard. “The ball was reverse swinging a bit and he (Hoggard) put it in the right areas and got the results,” the India opener corroborated.

But will such 70-odd knocks be enough to keep the berth? “I won’t say so, but as a batsman my sole aim will be score runs,” he pointed out.