There were a few groans around England training today but not enough pain for them to turn into legitimate injury scares. Well, not yet, anyway. First to go down was the timid looking, tough talking Stuart Broad, who tumbled awkwardly while taking a catch during fielding practice. He was helped up with a sore side and later bowled in the nets, looking more puffed than hurt when he walked up the pavilion steps at the end of the session.

The Oval was a noisy place but even all the pre-match construction and mowing was usurped when Paul Collingwood shouted the scream either of a batsman who had got out to a truly ridiculous shot or a person in serious pain. Collingwood was taking slip catches when one clipped a sore finger on his left hand and prompted the yell. He took a couple more before calling off the drill and walking away analysing the digit, but there were no anxious group huddles like there have been before the toss in the previous two Tests. Things were much quieter in the Australian camp.