ALASTAIR COOK'S England at last delivered the victory they badly needed against India - but he is still awaiting an assurance he will remain captain through their World Cup winter.
Joe Root's career-best 113 came to Cook's aid, underpinning a total of 294 for seven which England safely defended thanks principally to early wickets and economy from James Anderson, despite half-centuries from the world champions' Ravindra Jadeja (87) and Ambati Rayudu (53).
The eventual margin of 41 runs did not flatter the hosts, who were significantly the better team throughout at Headingley - if not so overwhelmingly, as India have been elsewhere on their way to their 3-1 Royal London Series victory. Cook therefore concludes his eventful, and often stressful, summer by avoiding a whitewash with a consolation win.
Asked if he has been told already, however, that he will definitely stay in charge when the selectors name their squad later this month for seven one-day internationals in Sri Lanka, Cook said: "No, I haven't."
He can only hope, but with a little more confidence than he perhaps had on the journey north to Leeds this week after England's previous trouncing at Edgbaston.
"We did [badly need to win]," he added. "It becomes slightly frustrating - because if you play like that, you'll win a lot more games. We did a lot of things well, and a lot of things we know we had to do and haven't been doing in previous games - like one of those guys, top four or five going on and getting a big score, and then the others can support him."
As for his continued tenure as captain, he repeated a near season-long mantra which extends back to the pressure he was under before England turned round the Test series against India. "There hasn't been a press conference I've been in all summer when someone hasn't mentioned my future as captain," he said. "I always give the [same] answer - while I still want to do the job and believe I can, then I'll carry on doing it. If they don't want me to, then I'll take it on the chin."
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