Opener had not played 50-over cricket in more than two years, meaning the England selectors are going on instinct

Another continent, fresh pyjamas and, after the disappearance of spin in Australia, a contest dominated by the slow stuff. But it was natural at times to rewind to the Ashes during England’s series-opening defeat against Sri Lanka on Thursday, stretching their losing run away from home in one-day internationals to 11.

The flashbacks hit immediately when Jamie Overton took the new ball for the first time in his ODI career, a middle-overs-man miscast, the same way Brydon Carse was when he opened in the Tests. Sri Lanka’s fielding late on in the chase – Dunith Wellalage’s hopscotch grab on the boundary to end Rehan Ahmed’s pyro-party, Dhananjaya de Silva’s swooper at backward point to get rid of Liam Dawson – was clinical, reminiscent of Australia.