Fans of England cricket captain Joe Root had been hoping he would have a decent first game against India in Chennai to mark his 100th Test match. And he didn't disappoint, hitting a superb 218 in the opening innings, leading to an unexpected 227-run victory over a confident Indian side fresh from victory over Australia.
It was his third successive century in Tests, having come from a two-match series in Sri Lanka where he scored 228 in the first and followed it up with 186, the first England player to score more than 150 in consecutive Tests. He appears to be in the form of his life and it is a pity there are no spectators to witness it.
We will forgive him his relatively modest 40 off just 32 balls in the second innings as England appeared to be in pursuit of quick runs.
Root's captaincy briefly came under fire from pundits for not declaring, but it proved to be the right decision as, helped by a superb spell from veteran James Anderson, England bowled India out for 192.
Among Root's biggest admirers is all-rounder Ben Stokes who commented: "He is in phenomenal form, making things look very easy. I don't think we've ever had a batsman who could play spin better."
The Chennai innings was Root's fifth double ton in Test cricket. It is hard to imagine that not long ago the media were suggesting he was past his best.
Root has regularly faced criticism for his alleged lack of tactical acumen.
Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell reckons Root is too defensive in his captaincy, concentrating too much on not losing rather than winning.
When Root was appointed captain in 2017, taking over from Alastair Cook, he had been the mainstay of England's batting for some years and there were fears that the responsibility of captaincy might affect his performance.
However, in his first match as skipper he scored 190 against South Africa at Lord's.
There have been periods when he has suffered dips in form, just like any other top class batsman with the possible exception of Don Bradman.
He has been criticised for not converting enough of his 50s into centuries. But at least he was getting 50s.
Importantly, Root has kept faith in himself. A year ago after a series of disappointing scores, some were suggesting that it was time to drop the captaincy. Root responded: "I'm not far away… a big total is around the corner. It really is."
And he proved his point.
Being captain of England is a thankless task, even if you are successful. While not quite a poisoned chalice, it's the sort of job that can drive even the strongest characters to despair.
When he was skipper, Michael Atherton often appeared to be brooding on the field, possibly pondering how he was going to handle the press whom he termed "gloom and doom merchants". Facing headlines like "Pathetic" and "Humiliating" did little to improve Atherton's mood.
Probably the most embarrassing episode occurred in the summer of 1988 when England got through four captains in just one series against the West Indies.
Mike Gatting was in charge for the first game but was sacked after an alleged dalliance with a barmaid.
John Emburey took over but only lasted two games, while Chris Cowdrey had the job for just one match. Graham Gooch was then brought in for the final match and kept the job despite England losing the series 5-0.
The Times commented on the demands of being a cricket captain: "Unlike his football counterpart who is only required to call the toss and shout encouragement a cricket captain must be permanently alert. Cricket presents tactical complexities undreamt of on the football pitch: it is chess compared to tiddlywinks."
When one of England's most successful cricketers, Ian Botham, was give the captaincy he was warned by former captain Brian Close who said: "You will have the most miserable time of your life."
But even Close could have not imagined just how rough it would be for the great all-rounder. In his brief tenure Botham achieved no wins, eight draws and four losses.
So what is required from an England cricket captain? In a BBC commentary back in 1993, former all-rounder Trevor Bailey summed it up: "Apart from being a genuine Test player, he should also be an accomplished after-dinner speaker, an astute tactician, a master diplomat, a rugged fighter, an outstanding press liaison officer, an inspiration to those he commands and a passionate lover of the game."
Having a sense of humour also helps, and as Root discovered, the occasional double century does not do any harm.