It is 89 years since England last staged back-to-back Tests, and today it showed. The crowd were sleepy, the England players hungover - champagne does linger in the system when you're not used to it, don't you find? The man most likely to wake everyone up, Michael Slater, had been dropped. The soporific atmosphere suited his replacement, Justin Langer, who is more camomile than capuccino. His hundred was a triumph of will after a summer spent as a relentlessly good-humoured outcast. If either of the openers played like a man who had been out of form, it was Matt Hayden, who only got past 26 because Peter Willey turned down one of the best lbw shouts of Andy Caddick's career.

Thanks to Langer, the Aussie top order finally managed a top performance. They even went through a whole session at less than three an over - before changing up and cruising to their customary 300-plus. Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh are so in the groove now, they collected 110 between them without anyone really noticing.

England fielded their seventh different bowling quartet of their summer but, as usual, only two of them were on form. Darren Gough, bowling with guile and without luck, was more consistent than he has been since May. Jimmy Ormond made a promising debut, instantly offering control as well as pace and swing, then breaking into a smile as broad as his beam when he got his first wicket. There may, however, be a good reason why his offbreaks are hardly ever seen at Grace Road.

Caddick bowled some unplayable deliveries, and swung the ball enough to make Steve Waugh wonder why he didn't pick Damien Fleming. But he also bowled plenty of rubbish, and went for 84 off 19 overs. His lack of economy has been one of the differences between the sides.

Phil Tufnell was a big disappointment for the same reason. The Aussies targeted him and didn't let him bowl a single maiden. Amazing how a man can have 1000 first-class wickets and still bowl like a gifted novice.

The pitch is a strange one. In a decade, The Oval has gone from a trampoline to a minefield to a stale biscuit (with minefield potential, as Langer discovered). In what may be Shane Warne's last Test in England, it looks like a very generous leaving present. Four-one is on the cards.

Tim de Lisle is editor of Wisden.com.

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