NASSER Hussain leads England into the first Test this morning knowing they must heed the lessons learned at The Oval two years ago if they are to return from Sri Lanka with their unbeaten record intact.

Under Hussain's leadership England have won the last three series against Zimbabwe, West Indies and Pakistan and lost only one of their last 11 Tests stretching back to last winter's tour of Sri Lanka.

But for that impressive run to continue, the tourists will need to recall their last meeting with Sri Lanka at the Oval in 1998 when English cricket was on a similar high after the dramatic series victory over South Africa, but ending the summer with a comprehensive 10-wicket defeat.

Not only were they beaten, but it represented one of the great fightbacks in recent Test history after England had posted an impressive first innings total of 445 only for Sri Lanka to reply with a quickfire 591 before Muttiah Muralitharan bowled them to victory with match figures of 16 for 220.

Only three of the present England squad - Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough - played in that match, but Hussain believes it is an important reference point for the current tour party and a reminder of what Sri Lanka are capable of producing.

''I didn't play in that game, but looking back on it they scored their runs too quickly,'' explained captain Hussain. ''You very rarely get 400 in a Test match and lose the game and the only reason for that is that they scored nearly 600 at four or five runs an over.

''We've got to have control in the field, even if it means defensive fields because that's what they'll do they'll just sit in and try and grind you down.

''I know at times it doesn't make for the most interesting of viewing, but you see their batters and they love to play their shots and get boundaries and we have got to try and grind them down as well.

''If you go at four an over in a Test match, you're always putting pressure on yourself and that is one lesson which I hope we have learned since then.''

The other factor, of course, is the phenomenal strike-rate of Muttiah Muralitharan, who averages five wickets every Test and was expected to overcome a groin problem to take his place as Sri Lanka's spearhead in the Test.

Just like the threat posed by Saqlain Mushtaq during England's successful series before Christmas, the tourists face the problem of trying to nullify the kingpin of their spin attack and hope they can take advantage of the lesser bowlers in Sri Lanka's line-up.

''Muralitharan is a fine bowler, which isn't a new thing in Test cricket because there have been many good bowlers, and we have to keep him out,'' stressed Hussain.

''If we can do that it would be a big plus for us. He's their number one wicket-taker and he might still end up getting eight wickets in the game, but we have to get his strike-rate down.

''We did that with Saqlain, who took a lot of wickets against us but his strike rate went down because he had to bowl so many overs and that was the key.

''We might have to do the same here, he might have a bad day, we might play him well or he could go in the groin so we shouldn't think it's just us against Muralitharan.