A slice of solace for Alastair Cook at the end of what he described, euphemistically, as an “interesting” summer, but the England captain was honest enough to recognise that this hollow victory merely emphasised where his one-day team had been falling short.
In particular, after three successive batting flops, England had a top-order batsman converting a promising start into a match-winning innings, Joe Root making 113 off 108 balls before his home crowd to restrict India’s winning margin in the Royal London series to 3-1.
It remains to be seen whether a solitary victory is enough to convince the England management that their one-day side can be revived in time for the World Cup early next year without a significant change in approach or leadership. Cook, for his part, remains intent on leading the one-day side first to Sri Lanka in November and December, then to Australia and New Zealand.
As he is not part of the Twenty20 side who play India at Edgbaston tomorrow, Cook now has the chance for a break after a summer of wearying scrutiny.
“I feel tired,” he said. “It’s not relief, because when I woke up this morning I couldn’t wait to play. But I’m happy that I’ve got a break, I can spend some time with my wife and baby, which I’m really looking forward to.”
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To a side in need of consolation after the manner of their three previous defeats, Root was the chief source of comfort yesterday, a reminder that England have a young batsman whose abilities are transferable across different formats of the game. His controlled innings helped England to a total of 294 for seven on a dry, true pitch and, although Ravindra Jadeja’s late flurry provided some late entertainment for a full house, India’s batsmen never really threatened after an incisive new-ball spell from James Anderson.
Root’s productive summer has restored his status as English cricket’s blue-eyed boy. At a hazy Headingley yesterday, despite a lean start to the series, he looked in good touch as soon as he came to the crease after Alex Hales had miscued a pull and Moeen Ali, promoted to No 3, had sliced Bhuvneshwar Kumar to third man. Root’s footwork exuded purpose and he was soon striking the ball beautifully, driving Kumar straight for four twice in five balls, either side of the stumps.
He lost Cook in the 20th over when the captain top-edged a sweep against the off spin of Suresh Raina, lobbing up a catch for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Eoin Morgan, struggling for form, was tied down by Ravichandran Ashwin, then lunged too far forward at a turning ball, Dhoni making the stumping.
From 117 for four, the entry of Jos Buttler gave England’s innings renewed impetus, especially in the five-over batting powerplay from the 36th over, in which Root and Buttler plundered 55 runs, eventually adding 108 from 81 balls before Buttler was run out, apparently losing sight of the ball after missing a reverse-sweep.
Root reached his hundred from 105 balls with a slog-swept six from Jadeja’s left-arm spin. Late blows from Ben Stokes, whose unbeaten 33 came from only 23 balls, took England to their highest one-day score of the summer.
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It took only three balls for a hint that India’s batsmen may not be as ruthless as in earlier games, Ajinkya Rahane, a century-maker at Edgbaston, chipping Anderson tamely to point. Virat Kohli then fell to Anderson for the umpteenth time this summer, offering a crooked bat to a ball of good length and edging low to Cook’s right at slip.
Once these early blows had been struck, India’s innings never developed momentum. Ambati Rayudu made an attractive half-century and Dhoni remained a danger until he flapped a short, wide ball from Steven Finn straight to cover.
“It’s frustrating, because if we play like that, we can win a lot more games,” Cook said. “But we know this series has thrown up more questions than answers.”
England have the opportunity for one more victory against India tomorrow, when Morgan leads them in the only Twenty20 international at Edgbaston. Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of that game as he continues his recovery from a pectoral muscle injury. The recovery of England’s 50-over side will not be exaggerated after one win, but their slump, at least, has been arrested.