England eventually won a game in the ODI tri-series in Pakistan, beating Sri Lanka by 55 runs in Lahore – a victory that came too late to reach Saturday’s final. 

But what questions do they need to resolve before next month’s three-match series in Australia, asks Daily Mail Sport's cricket correspondent LAWRENCE BOOTH?

Who should open the batting?

Ben Duckett cemented his place by following Sunday’s 105 against Pakistan with a superb career-best 167 off 132 balls against Sri Lanka. Only Dawid Malan, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root have a higher ODI average for England than his 45 – and Duckett scores at a run a ball.

But who walks out with him at Perth on November 13? Jacob Bethell will be fit again after a knee injury, but Tom Banton has averaged 56 with a strike-rate of 108 since stepping in as opener for September’s home series against Sri Lanka, and over the past fortnight has put on 91, 74, four and 163 with Duckett, making himself difficult to drop.

What if Bethell goes in lower down?

With Jos Buttler still recovering from hamstring surgery, there will be room for Bethell at No 5 in Australia. But a fit Buttler walks into the first-choice XI, and the World Cup is only a year away. If England want to fit both him and Bethell into the middle order, Sam Curran can’t come in any higher than No 7 – the appropriate position, you might think, for someone with an ODI batting average of 23.

If Curran’s down at No7, how do England balance attack?

Not easily. Curran can’t be their third seamer on flat pitches, as his four wickets at 54 in this tournament confirmed. When England needed late breakthroughs in their two freakish defeats by Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi and Pakistan in Lahore, his variations were of little use.

But if he’s their fourth seamer, batting at No 7, that leaves room for only one frontline spinner. Since Ben Stokes’s retirement, England have lacked a seam-bowling all-rounder capable of batting in the top six – and Curran’s performances in Pakistan have been a reminder that they regularly feel a player short.

Can England play Rashid and Dawson in the same side?

Only if they’re willing to limit themselves to three frontline seamers. But it’s not impossible, and it’s certainly tempting. Dawson collected a career-best four for 49 today/yesterday, and took the crucial wicket of Pavan Rathnayake. He was England’s leading wicket-taker in the series, with seven, and their tightest bowler, going at just five an over.

But Rashid has long been England’s white-ball banker, particularly in the middle overs, when they can look toothless. The selectors decided his leg-breaks would be less effective on Pakistani pitches than Dawson’s slow left-armers. But only Jimmy Anderson has more than Rashid’s 244 ODI wickets for England, and his ability to turn it both ways might have transformed the two-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka and the one-wicket defeat by Pakistan into a pair of wins.

England also know that the off-breaks of Will Jacks and Joe Root, plus Bethell’s slow left-armers, offer other spin options – though they have been stung in the past trying to turn that trio into a composite fifth bowler.

What’s their first-choice seam attack?

Jofra Archer’s pace and hostility were missed in Pakistan, and he will take the new ball in Australia. Jamie Overton offered bounce and aggression in the middle overs, and went at only 5.26 an over.

But the rest all come with question marks. Gus Atkinson was less effective with the old ball than the new, Josh Tongue had an economy-rate of almost nine, and Sonny Baker cost nearly eight – but did take the important wicket of Janith Liyanage in Lahore. Henry Crocombe is still wet behind the ears.

Where does it all leave England?

Three defeats out of four have left them eighth in the ODI rankings, between Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Since World Cups are rarely won by a team outside the top two, they have a lot of work ahead if they are to ‘seriously challenge’ for next year’s trophy, as head coach Brendon McCullum put it. Against an Australian side sure to be weakened because of a punishing Test schedule, nothing but a series win will do.