It's hard to remember a match for which the build-up was so one-sided, unless perhaps Bangladesh were involved. After their Brisbane bruising England were finding injuries easier to pick up than wickets, and the general gloomy consensus seemed to be that the best place to watch the first day at Adelaide might be from behind the sofa. But thanks chiefly to Michael Vaughan, it was Aussie armchairs that took more of a pounding. Vaughan almost joined the hospital queue when he twisted his knee at pre-match practice, but survived to ride his luck, especially before he reached his hundred. But he generally drove with reassuring solidity, and pinged Glenn McGrath satisfyingly to the shortish point boundary when McGrath uncharacteristically lost his length and pitched a couple further up and wider.

On the debit side Vaughan was dropped twice, and also had a near-miss or two when airy shots taunted the fielders, but the Great Escape came when he had only 19. Justin Langer at cover point scooped up what appeared to the naked eye - certainly to the nearby naked (if slightly jaundiced) eyes of the other fieldsmen - a fair catch. But Vaughan stood his ground, and the all-seeing third umpire decided he couldn't see all after all, and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

On balance that one probably was out - but a couple of overs later Andy Bichel thought he'd caught-and-bowled Marcus Trescothick, and the replay proved that it had bounced first. Win some, lose some. TV pictures might be better than they ever were, but most of the catches that are referred to the pavilion are always going to be inconclusive. Spectators - and the spirit of cricket - had better get used to that.

The Aussies helped England along with some dropped catches as well. Shane Warne shelled two - a difficult high one from Vaughan off Jason Gillespie, and a relative sitter just before tea from Nasser Hussain. Warne, like Hussain, was probably distracted by the sound of Steve Waugh's hamstrings creaking as he chugged in for a rare bowl.

Hussain will be kicking himself after nicking Warne through to the keeper on the verge of his half-century. He knew the importance of someone kicking on to a big score - something England missed out on big-time at Brisbane - and must have fancied his chances after his let-off.

Instead Vaughan was the man. He sailed serenely on after his early adventures, emphasising his class with his fifth Test century of 2002, the first of his career abroad. He had all but survived the day when Bichel, a surprise choice to bowl the final over, induced an edge which was caught, and Vaughan sloped off for 177. However, it might have been 2-0 to McGrath after Brisbane, but it's well and truly 2-1 now.

Steven Lynch is editor of Wisden.com.

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