It can be a tricky process, regeneration.

They make it look easy on Doctor Who: a brief moment of peril, an effects-laden physical transformation, and the bloodline continues.

But sport is not so tightly scripted.

Moving from one era into another can be far from straightforward – a cursory glance at the past decade at Manchester United Football Club shows as much.

This England side, however, are moving into their new era almost imperceptibly.

While James Anderson’s retirement has hogged the headlines in recent weeks, a transition has, in truth, been taking place for some time – almost under the radar.

The playing XI for this summer’s Trent Bridge Test contained just four men from the unforgettable win over New Zealand in 2022.

But those newer players are making themselves quite at home, while the old guard settle nicely into the role of elder statesmen.

It was one of each – Messrs Root and Brook – who began proceedings on day four in untroubled fashion.

Harry Brook enjoyed his milestone moment first – a scampered single to mid-on bringing up a century which was, remarkably, his first Test ton on English soil.

Minutes later, Root moved to 50 – and past West Indian lynchpin Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the all-time list of Test run-scorers.

Then came a hiccough. Brook’s departure for 109 was followed by Stokes holing out off Seales, with Jamie Smith perishing before lunch for 6.

No longer was the talk of when England might declare; now, they were in danger of being untimely dismissed.

Yes, Root remained resolute; the England great is lord of this particular manor, chalking up a third consecutive century in a Trent Bridge Test.

But the former skipper was rueful as he was dismissed for 122. 

England would add just six more runs; first, consecutive deliveries saw Gus Atkinson put down and Mark Wood dropped before the Durham paceman was castled, Jayden Seales’ disappointment turning to incredulity, and finally a particularly angry breed of delight. 

Bashir’s stumps were soon rearranged, leaving West Indies chasing 385 to level the series.

With the game having featured innings scores of 416, 457 and 425 thus far, the challenge seemed far from insurmountable.

And the visitors began their chase with relish. 

Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Brathwaite began at a clip – Brathwaite scoring at a rate his near-namesake Carlos, who had spent his breaks between commentary stints smashing sixes in the Hadlee hall, would have been proud of.

But once Louis departed, the dominoes began to fall.

61/1 became 66/2, Shoaib Bashir revelling in the pressure of spinning his team to victory in the fourth innings.

Brathwaite made 47 at almost a run a ball before Chris Woakes produced a peach to take his outside edge. First-innings centurion Kavem Hodge then went for a duck – the fourth wicket in four overs.

If the tension was palpable in the West Indies dressing room, that was nothing compared to the nerves felt by those who had battled online to secure free tickets for the final day’s play.

The end was looking inevitable. Bashir bowled a beauty to take the edge of Alick Athanaze, and Wood finally received rewards for a bowling performance of rare hostility as Kevin Sinclair gloved to slip.

There was time for an Atkinson cameo – da Silva pinned, Joseph cleaned up – before Bashir, fittingly, had the last word.

Ollie Pope, having hit 172 runs in the game, was named player of the match, but this was Bashir’s day.

In taking the first men’s Test five-fer for a spinner at Trent Bridge since Muttiah Muralitharan, he had achieved a feat which was beyond the likes of Graeme Swann, Moeen Ali and Jack Leach during their stints as the nation’s premier twirler.

This iteration of Ben Stokes’ England is regenerating splendidly.

What’s more, it feels like they have even more to give.

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