Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
England rediscovered their formula for success abroad after a long, three-year wait.
Their 2-1 victory in New Zealand may have given them a sense of satisfaction considering that they were thoroughly hammered in the first Test.
But there is still a lot of work to be done as a long summer of cricket begins in a few weeks. The first half of the season against New Zealand may be easier but there is South Africa still lurking in the second half.
Batting inconsistencies will have to be addressed urgently. There were too many starts by the top order but very few finishes.
The batsmen delivered good individual performances at some point or other but rarely clicked together.
This was compounded by Kevin Pietersen's extended poor run with the bat. However, he found form in the final Test with the best innings of the series which augurs well for the long summer.
The best thing about Pietersen's hundred was that his dazzling and often audacious strokeplay was back.
England must thank their bowlers for the magnificent comeback.
One man stood above the rest. Ryan Sidebottom took 24 wickets in the series with incisive left-arm swing bowling.
Sidebottom's outstanding display was a tribute to his skill, stamina and perseverance. In just a year, Sidebottom has elevated himself from an honest county bowler to a top Test performer.
He bowled decisive spells in both the wins and took a hat-trick too in the bargain. He fully deserved the honour of delivering the final blow of the series.
England must be congratulated for taking bold steps after the first Test defeat. The axing of the off-colour Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard proved inspirational.
Replacements James Anderson and Stuart Broad made immediate impact. Anderson destroyed the New Zealand top order in the second Test while Broad maintained pressure on the batsmen.
England are now spoilt for choice as far as fast bowling is concerned. Harmison still has a future with England but he needs to put in some extra effort.
With his height and ability to extract more bounce, Harmison has always been a handful when he gets everything right. But that has become so few and far between that very soon he is in danger of being totally sidelined.
Another positive for England was that Monty Panesar got back into the wicket-taking habit again. The left-armer is one of the top spinners in the world and England must show patience with him.
The team will be relieved that Andrew Strauss worked his way to some decent form by the end of the tour.
They would be served better if Strauss and Michael Vaughan change places. The England captain had a poor series and may serve the interests of the team better at the number three slot.
If Alastair Cook can work out a technical deficiency outside the off stump, both he and Strauss could make a good opening pair in the future.
England will also hope that Ian Bell bats freely like he did in New Zealand. He has loads of talent which gets wasted due to indecisiveness.
With Tim Ambrose excelling both behind and in front of the stumps, England have the ingredients for a successful summer.
