Images of 2001

By the close of play today, the rains and frustrations of the early weeks of this tour were a distant memory. In their place have sprung images of 2000-01, when England triumphed in an epic - and at times downright ugly - three-Test series. It is now clear, if it wasn't before, that this series is picking up precisely where that last one left off.

Forget the one-sided encounters in England last year. Home is always where the heart is where Sri Lanka are concerned. When Nasser Hussain said in a press conference at the beginning of the tour that this series would be England's greatest challenge, there was no empty rhetoric in his words. After all, England pulled off a stunning result at Galle last week, and yet they still remained just one wicket away from a 100-run defeat.

Hussain is no fool, by any stretch of the imagination. He masterminded England's victory in 2000-01, and now, just as then, Muttiah Muralitharan is the man England have to tame. And aside from some gutsy tailend batting at Galle, they have palpably failed to do that so far this series.

So as Plan A is in the process of failing, it appears that Plan B could be creeping back onto the agenda. The Sri Lankans, bitterly disappointed at their shortcomings at Galle, have turned the heat up on the umpiring (and umpire Harper was noticeably reticent with his lbw decisions this morning). England, for their part, may be turning the heat up, full stop.

In the absence of any statement from Hussain himself, it was left to England's bowling hero, Ashley Giles, to shed a little light on the goings-on out there. "Anything that is said out in the middle is just meant to upset people," he volunteered. "And it probably has." What could be more upsetting than further speculation about Muralitharan's bowling action, which has been under huge scrutiny from the Sky TV cameras over the past week?

Back on the field, this was Sri Lanka's day, without any shadow of doubt. England's ploy of fielding just the four bowlers backfired horribly in the afternoon session, as Dinusha Fernando milked a tiring attack for his maiden Test half-century in only his third innings. And Hussain's alleged verbal volley didn't exactly help England's cause either, as Murali smacked 19 more runs to add to his burgeoning tally for the series.

But by the time Graham Thorpe had been joined by his heir-apparent, Paul Collingwood, England were only too happy to have the use of a seventh batsman. As at Galle, England have their backs to the wall, but this match - and the entire series - is only just hotting up.