It had, in fact, been two years and six months since Dawson's last England appearance but he would be forgiven for thinking it had been longer. Whenever an England squad was named - or they lost a Test - Dawson's absence was a hotly-contested topic. Since then, Dawson had accepted that the call from England would never come again. And at the start of a new era under captain Harry Brook, in need of wins to halt a slide that has lasted 18 months, England finally realised that dependable was no longer a criticism but a strength. Recalling Dawson was not solely Brook's decision, although it is significant the comeback came for the Yorkshireman's first T20 series in charge.