Luka Modrić, 41, who had suddenly looked all of his years in that hammering, was left on the bench. He would earn his 207th cap if he came on.
England lined up in their first-choice white, forcing Croatia out of their famous red-and-white checks and into an alternative blue kit.
Croatia made a confident start and hogged the ball in the early exchanges, a reminder that they were in reputation-salvaging mode after England inflicted a record seven-goal defeat on them at home last month.
Before the match, Modrić arrived with a replica of a ball taken by English industrialists to Croatia in 1880.
Two minutes in, Croatia continued to keep the ball. By the seventh minute, Vušković was nearly closed down in his own box by a pincer movement launched by Rogers and Gordon.
On 11 minutes, Kane dropped deep and found Hall on the left with a raking long diagonal.
The night's story, as play got under way, was Kane's record appearance and Croatia's attempt to answer last month's heavy home defeat.