England are confident they have the right captain and right methods to take on India in the Royal London Series and on the journey to next winter’s World Cup, Joe Root said yesterday.

He spoke defiantly on the eve of the second one-day international in Cardiff in support of Alastair Cook, after former players Graeme Swann and Michael Vaughan questioned the captain’s 50-over credentials.

Swann and Vaughan have been outspoken in their critique of Cook, reasoning his high-70s strike rate at the top of the order will not help England win their first World Cup at the 11th attempt.

Root’s own strike rate is also marginally sub-80 — directly comparable with Cook’s and also Ian Bell’s — and arguably, 32 matches into his ODI career at the age of 23, a work in progress.

The Yorkshireman is having none of Vaughan and Swann’s thesis — that England, even after recruiting Alex Hales as a new “master blaster” opening partner for Cook — are woefully short of the firepower required to win ODIs, and certainly global tournaments.

“We’ve got guys like (Eoin) Morgan and (Jos) Buttler down the order who, as you’ve seen, can win games on their own,” said Root.

“We’re in a good place, and this series will be a good judge of that.”