They remain unbeaten in Group F but this was not an eye-catching display by Gareth Southgate's side.
BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty assesses the performances of the England players.
Joe Hart (goalkeeper) 6
One scare in the first half when Arturas Zulpa's header looped over him but largely untroubled. Made one smart second-half save.
Kyle Walker (right-back) 7
Real attacking threat and showed great pace going forward and in one defensive situation late on
Michael Keane (centre-back) 6
Another assured display. Poor opposition must be taken into account but good concentration and looks at home at England level.
John Stones (centre-back) 6
Good last-ditch clearance in the first-half. Looked composed and confident.
Ryan Bertrand (left-back) 6
Odd sloppy moment but has shown himself an ideal replacement for injured Danny Rose.
Eric Dier (holding midfield) 6
Solid and unspectacular. Like England.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (central midfield) 5
Very poor start and while the second-half brought improvement, a very strange selection ahead of Everton's Ross Barkley.
Raheem Sterling (attacking midfield) 6
Mixed bag. Set up Defoe's opener but still too wasteful.
Dele Alli (attacking midfield) 6
Took some heavy punishment from Lithuania in an attempt to test his temperament so was quieter than in Germany in midweek.
Adam Lallana (attacking midfield) 7
Excellent. Energetic, creative and a perfect subtle touch for Jamie Vardy's goal.
Jermain Defoe (striker) 8 MAN OF THE MATCH
He's still got it. Looked a threat for the hour he was on and fully justified his recall to England colours.
Substitutes:
Jamie Vardy (for Defoe 59 minutes) 6
Tucked away his goal neatly but finishing still a little wayward. Did exactly the job Southgate wanted from him.
Marcus Rashford (for Sterling 59 minutes) 6
Lively and full of fearless running.
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Jermain Defoe grabbed his first international goal in four years and Jamie Vardy scored only six minutes after coming on as England defeated Lithuania in Sunday's World Cup qualifier.