England still showing vital signs

It is not often that one could describe as uneventful a day which featured Muttiah Muralitharan twirling away at English batsmen on a fifth-day home pitch. That he was rendered toothless in such circumstances says all that is needed about the pitch; the uneven bounce and pace which saw a combined second innings total of 155-16 in 2001 and England's third heaviest ever defeat in 2003 has gone the way of all life and the heavy roller. Not much happened over the course of five days which surprised or excited, Sidebottom's early spark and Sangakkara's swift exit excepted. England did not get enough runs first up, then conceded too many in return; Jayawardene racked up his eighth Test century on his home patch before the match fizzled out into a rain-hastened stalemate. Jayawardene might have declared earlier than he did late on the fourth day, but when he said post-match that his side would have struggled to bowl England out in two days on that pitch, he was not joking.

The focus now turns to the decisive game at Galle, which has always been the most important fixture of the tour, regardless of cricket. It will be staging its first Test since the tsunami almost three years ago wiped out the old ground along with a good deal of the South-Asian coastline. It had seen just 11 Tests over 6 years, yet was still one of the most eulogised cricket venues around the world, surrounded by the Indian ocean and famous Dutch fort, which amongst other invaders withstood the TMS commentary team in 2001 when the authorities denied the BBC entry to the ground. Unfortunately for England, the fortress is symbolic as well as a survivor of the tidal-wave - Sri Lanka have lost just twice in those 11 games. However, the pitch is a totally new one, and no-one seems to know how it will play, although England can probably expect something on the slow side. They will hope that the unsettled soil will offer something to their seamers, who should be bolstered by the return of Matthew Hoggard, bowling unhindered in the nets following his back problems.

Yet while a sporting pitch is what England need, they will not relish a minefield, which would play into the hands of the more savvy Sri Lankans and specifically Muralitharan. Michael Vaughan was talking about the necessity of first-innings centuries before the Colombo match and the theme had not changed five days later. He is the man best placed to provide one, in excellent touch after he built on a cathartic return to opening at Kandy with a pair of fluent fifties at the SSC. Vaughan's conversion rate is so good he has as many centuries as halves (17) and he will not be satisfied by letting the ratio tilt unfavourably should he get in next time. Ian Bell added a third half-century of the tour, his ninth batting at 3; his first century there still awaits him. Ravi Bopara was not afforded the luxury of a second knock or indeed a second ball to face after Malinga cleaned him out first up on day 1. England had reason to select him at the outset, although it was a close call; with his bowling rarely utilised even with the opposition racking up some big totals, England may have been regretting the omission of Owais Shah, a better bet for runs. They will probably decide against a volte-face, but at the same time the equation of Bopara's all-round usefulness versus Shah's superiority as a batsman ought to be revisited in the light of the series so far.

Elsewhere, there have been some encouraging signs for England. Steve Harmison toiled manfully on the dead pitch and in a manner many would have doubted he was capable of. England can now select him for the next game without inhibition and the help he gets from Galle's mystery pitch could be a decisive factor. In a debut match which could not have much crueler, Stuart Broad showed up well too, maintaining composure and leaving with his maiden wicket as recompense. Hoggard's expected return means he will have to wait for the more favourable climes of New Zealand or home for his second go, however. England are down to their last chance on this tour, having finally lost the 2nd place in the rankings which the last two tours here helped springboard them too. Hard work will be needed to climb the mountain again, and a symbolic victory at Galle's rebuilt stadium would be a decisive way to start.