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Less than two weeks ago, when Mahela Jayawardene and the Sri Lankans landed in Dhaka after a spunky performance in the Commonwealth Bank series in Australia, he was asked what he had done to revitalise the side since taking the captaincy from Tillakaratne Dilshan. Jayawardene had played down the notion of a magic wand, pointing out some of the highs under Dilshan’s leadership before bringing out the old cliche, “a captain is only as good as his team”.Today, after three defeats in the Asia Cup and little to be happy about besides the resolution of their pay problem, Jaywardene was asked by a journalist whether there was something wrong with his captaincy. He was initially nonplussed by the question, grinning disbelievingly at being asked that, before regaining his composure.”Amazing isn’t it, two weeks of cricket does that to you, eh?” he said. “We played Australia in the finals and I can’t become a bad captain overnight. A captain is as good as his team and there are no secrets to it, just that he handles certain situations. We haven’t played good cricket, there are no excuses for that.”Sri Lanka came into the tournament as favourites, but have been flat over the three matches. The fielding, such a strength of theirs in Australia, was lacklustre, highlighted again by Sachithra Senanayake shelling a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance off Tamim Iqbal. The bowling hasn’t shown the verve of the previous series, and some of the shot selection by the batsmen has been questionable.It hasn’t been a happy tournament for Mahela Jayawardene and the Sri Lankans•AFP

“I thought the Indian game was crucial when we were 200 for 2 or 3, chasing 300-plus but somehow we failed to finish the game off and from that point onwards we have not been ableto play consistent cricket,” Jayawardene said. “We have to take responsibility for notplaying all-round consistent cricket, that is the reason.”Sri Lanka were in Bangladesh less than 30 hours after completing a grueling tri-series in Australia, and didn’t have a single training session until after their first game. Jayawardene, though, didn’t blame the jam-packed itinerary for his side’s listless performance.”We knew it was a tough schedule for us but that cannot be the excuse,” he said. “We made many mistakes with the bat, ball on the field, so we will go back home and assess it. We raised our game pretty well in Australia and had set some standards but we could not maintain those standards.”He also had words of praise for Bangladesh’s expectation-defying performance in the tournament. “They have played some amazing cricket and as a group they have performed more than individuals.”Previously, in a Pakistan v Bangladesh match, it was clear who the overwhelming favourite was, but Bangladesh are starting to change that notion. Asked to pick a winner in Thursday’s final, Jayawardene sat on the fence, though he did offer a light-hearted tip to both captains. “Both teams will be practising their tosses because batting second is a big advantage here.”Edited by Brydon Coverdale

Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has signed a three-year contract as head coach of United Arab Emirates. He is already in the UAE but will start the job full-time from April 1. Javed had emerged as a candidate for the position in February while he was still employed as bowling coach of Pakistan during their series against England in the UAE. Dilawar Mani, the chief-executive officer of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), said the board wanted to wait till that series was over before announcing Javed as UAE coach.”The ECB is delighted with Aaqib’s acceptance of its offer,” Mani said. “He signed a standard contract of three years that can be extended by mutual agreement. An earlier announcement would have been inappropriate due to Aaqib’s key role as assistant and bowling coach of Pakistan, and would have caused a distraction from his primary responsibility”He has played with distinction for Pakistan and performed most commendably as bowling coach. His contribution to Pakistan cricket has been most invaluable.”Javed had been involved in coaching in Pakistan for a decade, having started at the Lahore Regional Academy and then moved on to stints as Pakistan Under-19 coach and head coach at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He had been involved with the Pakistan national team on-and-off since 2009, with stints as bowling coach as well as assistant coach.Javed landed in the UAE on Tuesday and observed UAE’s match against Scotland in the ICC World Cricket League Championship on Wednesday, in Sharjah. His first assignment will be the Intercontinental Cup tour of the Netherlands in July, followed by the ACC Elite Cup in October. UAE have been training without a coach since Kabir Khan resigned from the job to return to the job of Afghanistan coach, which he held before moving to the UAE.Apart from Kabir, former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Mohammad, former Sri Lanka fast bowler Champaka Ramanayake and Madan Lal, the former India allrounder, have coached UAE. Madan Lal took UAE to their only World Cup appearance in 1996.Javed said his job would include planning the future of UAE cricket in conjunction with the ECB. “I shall dedicate myself to producing results and nurturing the talent in the UAE,” Javed said. “I shall work closely with the ECB management to strategise the planning process for the creation of a high-class squad.”Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Rarely can two teams so closely positioned in the ICC rankings have entered a series with one side so overwhelmingly fancied to win. Pakistan, fifth in the ICC ODI rankings, are expected to thrash England, sixth in the ODI rankings, in the four-match series that begins in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Some are already predicting a whitewash.It is not hard to understand why. While Pakistan have won their last six ODI series, their last seven ODIs and 13 of their last 14, England have lost their last five. Indeed, England have won only five of their last 20 ODIs played outside the UK and, since December 12, 2005, England have won just 12 of 38 ODIs in Asia. Four of those victories came against Bangladesh and the Netherlands. Indeed, since 1987 – yes, 1987 – and excluding games against Bangladesh, England have won just one two-nation limited-overs series in Asia. Several of England’s squad – Steven Finn among them – were not even born at the time.Furthermore, Pakistan whitewashed England 3-0 in the recently concluded Test series. England’s batting was woefully fragile against spin and it is anticipated that Pakistan will play a maximum of two seamers. It is possible they may even play five spinners. From an England perspective, such statistics do not justify much optimism.Scratch beneath the surface of those statistics, however, and the picture is not so clear. Not quite so clear, anyway. England have actually won nine of their last 12 ODI series, including the last one against Pakistan. In the 2011 English season, they defeated both World Cup finalists – India and Sri Lanka – and, until the 5-0 thrashing they took in India, they seemed to be on a gentle upward curve.Perhaps they may not prove quite the pushover some are predicting.In many ways, Alastair Cook offers a microcosm of England’s reputation. Cook, England’s 50-over captain since their almost ritual humiliation at the 2011 World Cup, has received a great deal of criticism in recent times. A plethora of former players – the likes of Ian Botham, Mike Atherton and Dermot Reeve – have questioned not just his captaincy ability, but his right to a place in the side as a batsman. For evidence they cite Cook’s ODI career-strike rate of 78.98, which is low for an opening batsman in this era, and his sometimes ponderous Test batting.Again, the more recent statistics tell a slightly different story. In the home series against India and Sri Lanka, Cook scored 467 runs at a strike-rate of 95.89 and an average of 58.37. By any standards, those are impressive statistics. Even in India, where he averaged just 26.60, his strike-rate was 84.71. It means that, since he was appointed captain, his batting average is 46.15 and his strike-rate is 93.16.Cook, like England, have had one bad series. The encounter with Pakistan may allow clearer conclusions to be drawn.One man who will not be helping England, in the first match at least, is Jos Buttler, the 21-year-old Somerset batsman. He had been pencilled in for a place in England’s middle order but will not be available for selection as his hand injury has not healed sufficiently. The injury will be monitored over the next day or two before a decision is made whether Buttler should be sent home.Pakistan’s team is unlikely to differ too much from that which defeated Afghanistan on Friday night. It is possible Wahab Riaz could be dropped for another spinner, probably Abdur Rehman, or that Shoaib Malik will make way. Either way, it is likely that spin will be introduced very early – possibly from the start. Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal will form a formidable trio at the very least.One of Pakistan’s strengths is the presence of three decent allrounders in their side. Afridi’s batting may not be the force it once was, but he is still a dangerous player capable of turning a game with bat or ball within a few overs. Hafeez, too, provides bowling depth, while Umar Akmal, by no means the finished article as a wicketkeeper, is a very fine batsman to find himself as low as No. 7 in the order.Perhaps there is just one, small concern for Pakistan. While their current squad looks ideally suited to conditions in the UAE, it may prove less well balanced in Australasia, where the 2015 World Cup will be contested. Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s captain, said it was “too early to think about the 2015 World Cup” and that it was better for the team “to concentrate day by day. We have to bring in some youngsters for long-term planning, but we are doing it day by day.”Misbah said the use of two new balls – one from each end – should minimise the affect of dew, but did warn against over confidence from his players. “Sometimes confidence is harmful for the team,” he said. “We have to guard that.” Over confidence, at least, should not be a problem for England.England’s policy is somewhat puzzling. They talk of fresh faces and building for the 2015 but their side in this game will be strikingly similar to the ones that have played over the last year or so. It is just in a slightly different order. Indeed, had Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad not missed the series in India due to injury, England’s side would be identical.If England do lose, they may also have cause to reflect on their preparation for this series. The standard of net bowling has been well below the required standard while, for reasons that remain unclear, their warm-up game against England Lions was a day time encounter despite the fact that the series will be contested under lights. As a consequence, England are unsure how dew could affect conditions.While Cook said that England had “tried” to stage the warm-up game under lights, he complained that England “don’t have control over the wicket and groundsman and stuff.” The ground authorities and PCB insisted both sides had “agreed on the schedule mutually… well in advance.” A spokesman commented: “If there had been a wish from ECB for a day-night fixture it would have been addressed.”Cook, at least, took encouragement from necessity. “The one-day game dictates you have to be more positive,” Cook said. “We’re not going to have men around the bat all the time so it changes your mentality as a batter. It frees you up and we’ve got a good record against Pakistan.”To listen to some pundits, you would think that England’s best hope in this series is to avoid humiliation. Cricket would not be nearly such an absorbing game, however, if it was predictable.

ScorecardSix of England Lions’ batsmen made single-figures, including captain James Taylor, who scored one•BCB

Imrul Kayes scored an unbeaten century as Bangladesh A took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the one-day series against England Lions. Kayes’ innings helped his side to a six-wicket win in Sylhet.The Lions’ batting underperformed once again in the series with six single-figure scores as they were bowled out in the final over of their innings having lost the toss. Joe Root’s 81 was, by some distance, the highest score of the tour and the second half-century.Without Root’s 124-ball innings the Lions would have had no target to defend as they lost 7 for 57 to be bowled out in the last over. Farhad Reza was the pick of the attack, returning 3 for 29, inlcluding the Lions’ captain, James Taylor, for one. Taylor has scored 40 runs in four innings in this series.Bangladesh A were always in control of the chase with Kayes leading from the top. His opening stand of 72 with Nasiruddin Faruque took his side a long way to victory. Naeem Islam made a 48-ball 40 and shared a half-century stand with Kayes as the home side cantered home.

As the Sri Lankan score trickled over 200, Thilan Samaraweera’s body language changed. He took the team there with a classy clip through midwicket and then relaxed a little. A good player of spin, he latched on to Imran Tahir, coming down the track with more authority. Dinesh Chandimal joined in, bringing up a half-century that proved his potential.The pair took Sri Lanka to within eight overs of ending the day in control, before Chandimal threw his efforts away chasing a wide one and Thisara Perara’s dismissal made it advantage South Africa. The stumps total of 289 for seven probably has two wickets too many as far as Sri Lanka are concerned but on the whole represents a far more convincing effort from a batting line-up that appeared frail and limp in Centurion.”Today was a bit of a breakthrough for us,” Geoff Marsh, the Sri Lanka coach said. “We looked and played a lot better.”Sri Lanka had much to ponder after they were shot out for under 200 both times in the first Test. The SuperSport Park pitch, which Marsh called “disappointing”, did nothing but expose their weaknesses against pace and bounce. Kumar Sangakkara said they had done some soul searching, captain Tillakaratne Dilshan said they put in extra hours in the nets and Marsh said it paid off with a better display today.”When you keep getting bowled out in the first innings for under 200, it happened against Australia, Pakistan and here, there were things we had to address,” he admitted. “Guys worked hard on technique, the way they were approaching their innings, and how they were thinking in the middle. We have a very good batting line-up and we should be getting 300-plus totals.”A score of that size is in sight, thanks largely to the efforts of the two men who were at the crease when the 200 mark had been passed. Samaraweera and Chandimal shared a century-stand and took Sri Lanka to a semblance of safety with an approach that showed the most maturity they have displayed on the tour so far.It was a particularly important knock for Samaraweera, who was recalled to the side for this series after missing out on the previous one – against Pakistan in the UAE – and had plenty to prove. “We are pleased he is in the side and on this tour so far he has played really well,” Marsh said. “I thought he batted well in the last game on a difficult wicket against that attack. He is a quality player and any side that has a quality player like him sitting on the bench was going to miss him.”While Samaraweera was fighting to show reasons for prolonging his career, Chandimal was trying to justify his inclusion in the team, at the expense of Kaushal Silva. Marsh felt Chandimal performed his role well, as he was picked with the idea that he could provide impetus in the lower-middle order. “He has worked very hard and we thought it was an opportunity for him,” he said. “We have Dilshan at top of the order who plays shots and we felt that we should have someone at No. 7 who will give us that oomph. He has all the shots and doesn’t mind playing those shots.”The one shot too many came when Chandimal reached for a wide ball and gave Morne Morkel a reason to celebrate what has been an uncomfortable time for him of late. Like all of this team-mates except Sangakkara, who was undone by a near-unplayable ball from Marchant de Lange, Chandimal scripted his own demise but Marsh said he was not too frustrated by the occasional moments of mindlessness from his batsmen. “Obviously you want them to get along, once they get to 30s to make a big score,” he said. “But they are working really hard and thinking about it and focusing. We’ve got ourselves up to around 300, which you’ve got to get to be competitive.”On a pitch that is flattening in the heat, but one that Kallis said “stayed pretty slow throughout the day,” and offered a little bit of turn, a total of around 300 could turn out to be a score that Sri Lanka’s bowlers will fancy defending to complete the breakthrough that Marsh hopes they are achieving.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Peter Siddle removed Kane Williamson in the day’s first over•AFP

A fortunate Phillip Hughes and an enterprising David Warner guided Australia to 0 for 72 in pursuit of 241 following a tense start to the fourth innings in Hobart. Rain arrived during the tea break and could not be shaken, meaning the duo will resume on the fourth morning to confront the session in which 19 wickets have fallen over the first three days. New Zealand’s bowlers will consider themselves in with a chance of disturbing the chase, particularly against the nervy Hughes.He had gloved a catch down the legside off the bowling of Chris Martin when he was on 0, but the visitors’ appeal was muted and no DRS referral was requested. Batting uncomfortably for his Test place, Hughes survived in the company of Warner, who played more confidently though he too had a slice of luck.They were batting after rain delayed the post-lunch resumption, having watched New Zealand slip from 3 for 139 overnight to 9 for 203. New Zealand’s lead was given an unlikely top-up by the last pair of debutant Trent Boult and Martin. Boult struck four boundaries and Martin survived nine balls before his partner swung Nathan Lyon into the deep.Lyon’s three wickets meant he had wrapped up the New Zealand tail for the third time in four innings, but it was Peter Siddle and James Pattinson who did the bulk of the heavy lifting for the hosts. Siddle struck in the first over of the morning and persisted admirably throughout, while Pattinson’s swing and speed accounted for Ross Taylor, whose 56 was the highest score of the match, and the dogged Dean Brownlie.Ricky Ponting was late to the ground on the third morning, having received the news that his grandmother had died overnight. His team-mates wore black armbands onto the field in recognition, and were soon patting Ponting on the back as he clung onto a sharp chance in the day’s first over. Siddle moved the ball fractionally away from a perfect length, and Kane Williamson’s feet did not move swiftly enough to avoid the edge.Brownlie had been Australia’s chief batting tormentor in this series, and for 32 runs he hung tough . The ball continued to seam and swing, Siddle and Pattinson persistent and pacey, but in the absence of a wicket Michael Clarke was forced to make a change. Mitchell Starc could not improve on his first-day bowling at the Gabba, but his short ball disrupted the visitors’ progress by clouting Brownlie on the left wrist as he ducked. Magic spray was called for, and Brownlie’s touch was affected.Taylor watched it all from the other end, and in the next over he did not get far enough forward to negate Pattinson’s away swing. As in Brisbane, he edged, offering a chance that Clarke held adeptly to his right. Pattinson with in fine rhythm in his second spell of the session, and a bouncer grazed Brownlie’s ginger left glove on the way through to Brad Haddin.Reece Young fell victim to Siddle’s nip-backer, reward for a wonderfully relentless display, and Tim Southee was unable to contain himself against Lyon. The first ball sailed over Michael Hussey’s head for six, the second skimmed beyond mid-off for four, and the third picked out Hussey in a foolhardy attempt to repeat the first. Doug Bracewell swung rashly two balls later to be bowled.Martin was very nearly lbw to Lyon before he had scored, but evaded the appeal and allowed Boult to swing for the boundary. He did so with success until he picked out Hussey in much the same manner as Southee had done.Hughes faced up to the first over of Australia’s chase and played Martin solidly enough, but in the third he should have been out. He looked a guilty man as New Zealand chose not to refer to technology for proof of a gloved catch, and went on to capitalise on their oversight.Warner was the more positive of the duo, eluding a trio of lbw appeals that did not quite meet the precise criteria for a dismissal, and once snicking Southee past his leg stump to the fine leg fence. He also managed a handful of more authoritative boundaries, and gave Hughes an embrace of solidarity as they walked off for the interval, and ultimately the day.

Both the matches scheduled to be played in Guyana on October 21 were washed out without a ball bowled. Barbados and Windward Islands shared the points, as did Guyana and Sagicor High Performance Centre. Barbados and SHPC are both on four points each, though they have not completed a match yet.

Mohammad Talha polished off Abbottabad’s lower order early on the third day and Khurram Manzoor scored a fluent century to set up National Bank of Pakistan’s (NBP) convincing eight-wicket win at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Over the first two days, the match had swayed both ways with no clear favourite emerging. But on Thursday morning, Talha – who completed his five-for – and Umaid Asif’s strikes kept Abbottabad to 185 and gave NBP the opening they needed. The batsmen did not let the bowlers down. Chasing 221, Manzoor was solid at one end, while Nasir Jamshed made a quick 38 in a half-century opening stand. Following that, Umar Amin supported Manzoor well in a century partnership to all but seal the game. NBP scored at over five runs an over and Manzoor closed out the game in only the 42nd over, with over a day still to play.Sialkot face a tough task on the final day against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZBTL), after slipping to 195 for 4 in pursuit of 527 at the Jinnah Stadium. After the drought of runs in the first innings of the Test, the deluge continued for ZBTL in their second innings on the third day. Resuming on 361 for 4 with Haris Sohail unbeaten on 26, they kicked on to 502 for 9 at over five runs an over, before declaring. The brisk scoring rate was maintained by Haris, who got to 104 off 128 balls before he was trapped lbw by Mohammad Ayub, and Zulqarnain Haider – the wicketkeeper hit a run-a-ball 33. ZBTL struck early once the chase began, but were stalled by a 97-run stand between Mohammad Yasin and Faisal Khan. However, three quick wickets followed the partnership, denting Sialkot’s chances of survival. Whether they are able to hold off ZBTL on day four will depend heavily on Faisal, who went to stumps undefeated on 73.Despite a collapse from their lower middle order, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are on the verge of a win against Rawalpindi at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. HBL followed up the low-scoring first innings with a commendable second innings score: 376, to set the hosts 330 for a win. HBL had resumed on 237 for 2 and the overnight batsmen, Bilal Shafayat and Khaqan Asral, went on to score a century and fifty respectively. When Sulaman Qadir followed up those knocks with a blistering 81 off 46 balls, HBL looked set for a much bigger total. As they pursued quick runs though, wickets fell in a hurry, mostly to first innings’ star, Sadaf Hussain. Left-armer Sadaf took his match tally to 15 wickets, with a six-wicket haul in the second innings. HBL’s bowlers then struck with regularity to reduce Rawalpindi 159 for 7, with the new-ball pair of Fahad Masood and Sarmad Anwar doing most of the damage.Hosts Islamabad took control of their game against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at the Diamond Club Ground, courtesy an unbeaten century from opener Afaq Raheem. In the morning, fast bowler Shehzad Azam and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim combined to knock over the SBP tail and keep them to 193 in reply to Islamabad’s 276. With a 83-run first-innings lead cushion, Islamabad’s openers were under no real pressure and settled in to grind the SBP attack. They put on 184 before Umair Khan was lbw for 61. A 55-run stand followed between Raheem and Raheel Majeed, to give the hosts an imposing 322-run lead going into the final day.The match between Pakistan International Airlines and Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad looked set for a draw at the end of the penultimate day’s play. Faisalabad batted out the day, moving from 192 for 2 to 374 for 5 in reply to PIA’s 396. Farrukh Shehzad was the top scorer for Faisalabad so far, hitting 128. He was well supported by Zeeshan Butt and Faisal Bin Mubashir, who both scored half-centuries.Barring a spectacular collapse, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) should secure a win against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium on the final day, after going to stumps 151 for 3 chasing 210. Karachi Blues had resumed on 166 for 5 in their second innings, and courtesy solid cameos from Ashraf Ali, Javed Mansoor and Mohammad Sami, pushed on to 284. WAPDA were in trouble at 12 for 2 and then 40 for 3 in the chase, before Rafatullah Mohmand and Bilal Khilji steadied them. The pair put on a century stand, which was unbroken at stumps.

Hampshire have signed Simon Katich as their overseas player for next season but released Nic Pothas, the wicketkeeper, after his contract expired. Jimmy Adams, the opening batsman who led the side in the closing weeks of the summer in place of Dominic Cork, has been confirmed as captain for next year as the county aim to bounce back from Championship relegation.Katich’s deal means a return to the club he played for between 2003 and 2005. He should be available for the entire season after losing his place in the Australia Test team and will add further strength to a top order that includes Adams, Michael Carberry and Neil McKenzie.”I’m really looking forward to going back to The Rose Bowl as I have many good friends and memories from my previous time at the club,” Katich said. “Hampshire have been great to my family and I during my career and I am looking forward to helping the club continue to have success.”Giles White, the Hampshire manager, said: “We’re delighted with the signing of Simon. He comes back to us, having been with us before, because he’s enjoyed his time here and we’ve really enjoyed it when he’s played for us in the past. He’s everything we need in an overseas player at this stage.”He’s a quality player, first and foremost. But he’s a very good man as well and the lads respect him highly so he’s a good bloke to have around the changing room. His availability’s very good too so, with all that coupled together, we’re very pleased.”Meanwhile, Pothas, who scored over 10,000 runs during his Hampshire career, insists he has no plans to retire from professional cricket at the age of 37. He hadn’t been in the team since suffering appendicitis midway through the season and Hampshire now look to put their faith behind Michael Bates.”Although I have no intention of retiring from cricket and am sad to be leaving Hampshire, when the time is right I’m sure I will continue to explore other options within cricket,” Pothas said. “I still have a number of events left for my benefit year with the club and hopefully I will enjoy the continued support of our loyal fans.”In addition, I have a number of interests within the property market outside cricket, as anyone who knows me will testify, and I will continue to explore these while I consider my options. I would like to thank all the fans and supporters who I’ve had the privilege to meet and entertain over the last nine years. Their support has been both generous and invaluable and for that I am eternally grateful.”Kolpak signings Johann Myburgh and Friedel de Wet as well as Academy player Jamie Miller have also been released ahead of next season.

Alastair Cook believes that England have “found one” in their quest to build a world-beating 50-overs team to go alongside their top-ranked Test squad, after the Yorkshire debutant, Jonny Bairstow, blazed a brilliant 41 not out from 21 balls to win the fifth and final ODI at Cardiff.In a rain-reduced run-chase, England had been set a stiff 241 from 34 overs and still needed 75 at almost nine an over when Bairstow emerged in the 25th. But after smacking his fifth ball over midwicket for six, he settled comfortably into an attacking groove, as he and Ravi Bopara wrapped up the contest with ten balls to spare.”I just wanted to go out and play my natural game,” said Bairstow. “It wasn’t necessarily easy, and it was really pleasing the way it turned out in the end. There were obviously some nerves. That’s only natural, and you’ve just got to turn them into something positive. It was a new challenge and something I really enjoyed, but a massive part of it is how the guys, the captain and the coach, make you feel when you come into the set-up. You’re made to feel completely at home.”The six-wicket victory gave England an impressive 3-0 scoreline to go alongside their 4-0 whitewash in the Tests, as well as their one-off win in the Twenty20 at Old Trafford, and as Cook’s thoughts now turn to the challenge that awaits his new-look squad in the return one-day series in India next month, he believes that Bairstow has the makings of a vital member of England’s middle-order.”What a way to make an international statement,” said Cook. “I think we’ve just found a player. I don’t want to heap too much pressure on him, but to make your debut like that and go and play in such a controlled but positive way was incredible. The lads looking around in the dressing room were saying we’ve just found one. All credit to Jonny for that. It’s never always going to be plain sailing, but he looks like an outstanding prospect.”The scenario for England in the final match of the series had not looked too rosy at the halfway point of the contest, after India had posted their first 300-plus total of summer courtesy a Virat Kohli century. But the calm confidence that has been a hallmark of England’s batting all series came once again to the fore, with important contributions from every member of the top six.”That was an outstanding chase – 240 in 34 overs, to get it done with 10 balls to spare,” said Cook. “The batting line-up as a whole can take a lot of credit for that, and the way Jonny and Ravi finished it off was spectacular. What we have done is started off on what we hope will be a very successful journey.Alastair Cook: “Bairstow looks like an outstanding prospect; the determination to improve from the lads is very encouraging.”•Getty Images

“Obviously we’ve missed the experienced players, [but it] has given others an opportunity,” he added. “It’s been a tough battle, close games and rain – and I’ve been very happy with the way we’ve been able to adapt. We’ve had a lot of little situations thrown at us, and the way we’ve handled them – especially as a batting side – is pleasing.In the absence of several key players, including the established middle-order pairing of Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan, as well as the two senior seamers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Cook was pleased to finish the series with so many new contenders making their case for selection. Jade Dernbach tailed off towards the end of the series but sealed the Twenty20 with a Man-of-the-Match performance, while Ben Stokes – who missed this game with a damaged finger – is another man who can expect to feature strongly in India next month.”With these young players coming in now – people like Jade, who’s made a mark, obviously Jonny, Ben Stokes – I’m very happy with how we’ve played in certain areas,” Cook said. “The hunger and determination to improve from the lads is very encouraging. We are going to need that over the next couple of months in subcontinent conditions, where we haven’t played a huge amount of successful one-day cricket, and our learning curve is going to be steep, but I’m very confident in the players we’ve got.”It’s been an incredible summer for us, and in the last two months we’ve played some outstanding cricket,” he added. “In these last few games we’ve managed to sneak home, which shows very good character in the side and that bodes well for the future.On a personal note, it has been an impressive summer’s work from the captain Cook, who restarted his ODI career amid criticism of his “plodding” tempo in limited-overs cricket. He has now passed fifty in six of his 13 games in charge, at a strike-rate of 94.53, while securing series wins against each of his three opponents, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.”I hope I’ve answered a few of the critics,” Cook said. “But it’s not about proving people wrong as such; it’s about proving to myself that I can do it. The last couple of games I don’t think I’ve played as well as I could have done. I think I’ve struggled a little bit with my timing. It always takes time for a new captain to come in and players to get used to your style. But we’ll call it a good start, and move on from there.”The next challenge promises to be Cook’s toughest yet, as he prepares to take on India in their own conditions in their first series on home soil since the World Cup victory in April. On their last tour of the country in November 2008, under Kevin Pietersen, England were drubbed 5-0 in the ODIs and also lost an incredible Test in Chennai, so the scale of the task is not to be under-estimated, even with the morale of the two teams so polarised.”India are world champions for a reason,” said Cook. “When we went to India last time we didn’t win a game, so that shows the challenge we have ahead of us in these next two months. But with the developing squad we’ve got, these are exciting times – and I think we can adapt well to those conditions.”