England's best still to come
A surprise Ashes victory over Australia is worthy of celebration, but England may well face setbacks before reaching their full potential.
England's cricketers are basking in the glory of an Ashes triumph as unexpected as it was impressive, but it may be some time until the true potential of a new-look Test team is realised.
Having come into this year's series against Australia as underdogs, following a 5-0 whitewash at the hands of the same opposition in 2013-14 and a subsequent period of turbulence and transition, Alastair Cook's men sprung a shock by not only regaining the urn, but doing so with a match to spare courtesy of convincing victories at the SWALEC Stadium, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge.
The margins of the hosts' two defeats – by 405 runs at Lord's and an innings and 46 runs in last week's dead rubber at The Oval – indicate that England very much remain a work in progress, and understandably so given the various changes made on and off the field in recent times.
Yet while few would doubt that a side featuring the likes of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler and Mark Wood – all players who would hope their best years are still to come – represents an exciting prospect, England could be forgiven for wishing they had a less challenging schedule over the next six months.
Tours of the United Arab Emirates, to face Pakistan, and South Africa are certainly likely to provide much sterner tests than those posed by a modest Australia team.
A recent shift to a more aggressive approach must surely be tempered in spin-friendly conditions against Pakistan, who thrashed England in the last five-day series between the sides in the UAE, while South Africa's pedigree is clear – given their currently secure position at the summit of the International Cricket Council's Test rankings.
England, therefore, could well be forced to take one step back – at least in terms of results – before they are able to develop the level of consistency required to become a leading Test outfit.
It now seems certain that Cook, whose future as captain had been in considerable doubt, will stay on as leader for the foreseeable future and his vast experience will be invaluable given many of England's players remain in the early stages of their international careers.
However, it would be a surprise if Root – a standout performer with the bat for the past 18 months – is not at the helm by the time England resume Ashes combat towards the end of 2017.
Predicting the future is never easy, but that next tour of Australia would appear a potential peaking point for many of the current crop.
In the meantime, patience is likely to be required by followers of England's Test side. And by securing Ashes glory, Cook's men have surely earned the right to be judged with restraint during their next two assignments.