Bayliss believes series victory is start of new era

England boss hails progress

Trevor Bayliss is confident England’s series win in Sri Lanka is the beginning of a “different era” that will comfortably outlive his own tenure as head coach.

Victories in Galle and Kandy have given the tourists a 2-0 lead heading into the final Test in Colombo, ending a near three-year wait for overseas success.

Finding a winning formula away from home has been the major challenge of Bayliss’ time at the helm, with only one of his previous six Test tours ending in triumph: a 2015-16 trip to South Africa.

Having already stated his intention to depart when his contract expires after next summer’s Ashes, this winter was a last chance to reposition the side as a major force outside of England.

The Australian has seen enough to believe that process is well under way.

The retirement of Alastair Cook, the country’s record cap-holder and runscorer, might easily have ushered in a period of uncertainty but Bayliss has seen the dressing room evolve quickly.

““We loved having Cook in the team, it’s just a different era,” he said.

“Things move on. There’s no secret in the fact we’ve been looking for two or three, maybe even four, positions to sort of get nailed down over the last few years.

“I think on this particular tour we’ve probably seen two or three of those positions getting nailed down.

“We’ve come upon two or three guys that have a good possibility of having long careers for England.”

Bayliss, though, is not in it for the long haul.

Asked if recent developments tempted him to stick around longer than planned, he was unmoved.

“I’ve always been of the opinion, even before I started the England job, that four to five years is a good life for a coach with one team,” he said.