Australia VS England: Australia's veteran stars proved themselves worthy in the ODI series against England

But what happened was the exact opposite: Australia won the three-match ODI series 3-0, completing a whitewash over the defending ODI and T20I champions. 

It is a massive achievement – even with the obvious caveat that England was quite clearly wishing they were anywhere but playing this series. 

Nevertheless, Australia should be applauded for their performance throughout the series as it's not easy to come out on top against a team that is, overall, more talented.

“Lots of people are talking about how you keep bilateral cricket relevant and I think this series is a good example of how probably not to do it,” England captain Jos Buttler pointedly said after the match. 

He also points out that this series lacked one thing – stakes. England had just come off a T20 World Cup win, and this series was taxing and not part of the ODI Super League either. 

“It’s just been a few games too far and fair play to Australia, they have outplayed us. It’s not part of the ranking system (Super League) so there’s not as much on the games as there would be.” 

But Australia should not be too bothered. Aside from this series giving them much-needed confidence, it came when their under-fire veteran players delivered the goods. 

As the T20 World Cup progressed, David Warner looked more and more like a shadow of his former self. He didn't manage to find any semblance of form throughout the tournament.

And Steve Smith was not even a starter, only getting a game in Australia’s final group against Afghanistan – and even that most felt was one game too many for a player who, for all his qualities, has never been a great T20I player. And who has also been struggling for form in the shortest format for a long time? 

But in ODI cricket, where batters can take some time to get in and aren’t under pressure to attack at all times, Steve Smith and David Warner showed their class. 

And that’s a good sign for Australia, given that the focus will now shift to ODI cricket for 2023, given there is a 50-over World Cup set for next year. 

It also proves that while the Aussies might need to consider a revamp in T20I cricket, their ODI side is primarily set in stone and can focus on building around their core. 

This will doubtless be good news not just for the selectors but also for new ODI captain Pat Cummins, who will relish working in a set-up that doesn’t need too much tweaking. 

Although it's impossible to say whether or not Australia's recent successes will result in another World Cup win, there's no doubt that the team will be a strong contender in 2023.

And their old guard will be one of the key reasons why that will be the case.