Cook has led from the front spectacularly already, with three hundreds in successive Tests culminating in his English record-breaking 23rd in the seven-wicket victory at Eden Gardens. Graham Gooch, batting coach and mentor to his one-time Essex protege, knows from his own experience as a Test opener it is folly simply to predict more of the same.

If anyone, however, can simply keep churning out the runs — as he so famously did in England’s historic Ashes victory in Australia two winters ago — it is the new England captain.