By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent

Listen to Agnew's 'Close of Play'

In recording their highest score for 60 Tests, England deserved their draw, but they would be unwise to display even a shred of complacency.

When Sri Lanka first received their itinerary for this tour, the powers that be in that pretty, tropical island would have considered the three venues - Lord's, Edgbaston and Old Trafford - carefully.

They would certainly have considered Lord's to be the ground that would suit England most, not simply because of the early summer conditions that would be likely to prevail, but also because England's seam bowlers have enjoyed success here recently.

England must beware the threat of Murali

Anything could happen at Edgbaston, the Sri Lankans would have felt, while Old Trafford would offer their best chance of a victory.

Their problem would have been slipping to 2-0 down before they reached Manchester.

That will not happen, now, and Sri Lanka did so much more than simply leave Lord's with a draw.

They dominated a Test they probably would have won had it not been for two dropped catches on the fourth morning.

Michael Vaughan was reprieved on both occasion and his century, plus noble assistance from Trescothick, Hussain and Butcher, thwarted Sri Lanka's ambitions.

Safety first

There were one or two dissenting voices amongst the Lord's crowd on the final day who felt that England might have pressed on and set the Sri Lankans some kind of a target.

That, I am afraid, was never going to happen. This was a classic example of a team fighting impossible odds to save a Test match, and managing to do it.

Mark Butcher made a determined final day century

In those circumstances, especially in the opening game of a series, you never give your opponent a second chance.

England, though, must accept their shortcomings and work hard to overcome them before the teams meet again a week on Thursday.

Caddick, Hoggard and Cork (if re-selected) urgently need to get some overs under their belts before the Edgbaston Test.

It really is crazy to have bowlers of any type using a Test match to get into form, which was the case on the first day at Lord's.

The batsmen need to reminded that not every Test match should be played at a gallop and, in fact, had they employed their second innings resolve a day earlier, they would not have given the visitors such a chance of victory.

The biggest threat, though, is the possible return of Muralitharan.

Who knows what he might have achieved at Lord's, but we can safely speculate that England would not have found batting throughout two days easy had he been bowling.

He could, conceivably, return at Edgbaston and threatens to tie England in knots at Old Trafford.

No wonder long faces were hard to find in the Sri Lankan dressing room when the Lord's Test finally ended in stalemate.