Credit to the home side, who did not alter their attacking approach and they were rewarded for this just after the half hour when Crouch climbed at the back post to head home Huddlestone's cross.
As the first-half wore on, Crouch got little chance to impress Capello with Luton stretching Liverpool all over the pitch and having the best of the possession.
Defoe should have scored his first international hat-trick only to miscue wide but then combined brilliantly with his second-half strike partner Peter Crouch for one of the best passing moves of the game, but the Liverpool striker was denied by a sprawling Ince.