The Liverpool captain was solely responsible for shaking up a moribund match with a succession of goal attempts that few players on either side were able to emulate.
Gerrard went close to a winning goal on no fewer than seven occasions, but Liverpool had to settle for a point against a side reduced to 10 men by the dismissal of Ugo Ehiogu. The defender was shown the red card by Mark Halsey in the 75th minute for bringing down - inevitably - Gerrard as the midfielder bore down on goal.
This game was always destined to be a far more meaningful examination of Liverpool's prospects than the five Champions League qualifying games that have brought them five victories and 14 goals.
They may be the champions of Europe, but 11 defeats in 19 away games in the Premiership last term emphasised the need to strengthen their squad. Jose Reina, Momo Sissoko and Boudewijn Zenden were the new signings in Rafa Benitez's starting line-up yesterday, with Zenden - met by 'greedy bastard' chants on his return to Middlesbrough - starting promisingly. He had a shot saved by Mark Schwarzer after two minutes.
It proved to be a rare threat in a first half in which the sides cancelled out each other as Liverpool responded to their manager's accusation that they did not fight hard enough at times last season.
Middlesbrough's appetite for hard work has never been in doubt, but empty seats here and a four per cent decline in season ticket sales suggests supporters also expect a little more artistry from a team that finished in their highest position of seventh last term.
Those demands were not met in the opening 45 minutes when the new strike pairing of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Yakubu Aiyegbeni was subdued effectively by Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher. And Liverpool should have capitalised on their extra possession in the 21st minute when Gerrard shot over the bar from 14 yards after Fernando Morientes headed down Xabi Alonso's pass.
Middlesbrough's only response was presented to them in the 37th minute by Liverpool's new keeper Reina, who was unconvincing as he flapped at a corner, allowing the ball to reach Ehiogu who hooked the ball over the bar from 16 yards.
While Gerrard had been as anonymous as everyone else earlier in the game, he was responsible for firing it into life at the start of a second half that was immeasurably more entertaining.
Gerrard hooked a shot narrowly wide of the far post with Schwarzer struggling to get across his goal in the 47th minute. He went even closer in the 54th minute when Middlesbrough failed to pick him up on the edge of the area and he took advantage with a first-time volley that was marginally wide with Schwarzer motionless on the line.
And it was Gerrard who led Liverpool's pursuit of a win after Ehiogu was dismissed. His 76th-minute header dropped on top of the net and another header three minutes later was saved by Schwarzer.