A misfielded single was an appropriate way to end this low-rent three-match series. Not, seemingly, for Jordan Cox, cringing as he crossed for the run that confirmed England's victory by eight wickets at Edgbaston over Pakistan to secure a 3-0 series win.
The delivery before, Cox turned down Joe Root for a second after the Test captain had driven wide of mid-off. A two was very much on the cards, but Cox had other designs.
Though he might not have connected with the winning stroke as he wanted, the final square push to move to 59 not out in a successful chase was a stylish way to close out your first Test summer. Even more with Root admiring at the other end in a stand of 128 as, believe it or not, the less convincing of the two despite 62 of his own.
"It's never easy coming in at the top of the order, whether you've done it all your life or you're thrown in at three and not had a huge amount of experience at it," Root said, referencing the fact Cox's previous experience at No. 3 before this series was a single first-class match for his previous county, Kent. "But, I think more than anything, his character and the way that he's managed those kind of pressure moments and situations has been awesome to see."
Cox's time in Test cricket has been long overdue, but he probably benefited from the two-year delay. Originally set for a debut on the 2024 New Zealand tour before he broke his finger - opening the door to Jacob Bethell - a first cap earlier this summer during a controversy-engulfed second Test against New Zealand has led to a clean run against Pakistan. This time batting, at No. 3 in Bethell's absence, he has taken his chance with three half-centuries. To the point that he probably won't relinquish his position when Bethell returns after a knee operation for the tour of South Africa.
Even against tame opponents, Cox has made a compelling, composed case. You could argue this fifty was the least pressurised of them all. His 73 in the first Test at Headingley got England out of a funk when 48 for 2. A 55 at Lord's came initially at 21 for 1, before further early losses of Root at 36 for 3 and Harry Brook at 77 for 4.
On Friday evening, Marcus Trescothick preached confidence, believing England would be okay in pursuit of a small 130 target. No doubt there were some nerves when England ended the first over two down, Ben Duckett and Emilio Gay seen off for ducks by Mohammad Abbas. As well as for the brief moment between Root playing onto his stumps and Paul Reiffel signaling Mohammad Ali's 17th no-ball of the series.
Cox arrived to a similar situation in the first innings at Edgbaston; at the end of the fourth over after Duckett had departed, but relatively low stakes given England were responding to Pakistan's paltry first innings of 133. And a score of note there - with scope to bat for as long as he wanted, without the parameters of a low target - would have gone along way.
Cox was not alone in failing to make a statement knock in that innings or throughout this series; his Saturday efforts provided the 14h and final English half-century of a century-less series. Gay (60) and Dan Lawrence (65) got on the board in the first innings without being able to stamp their authority for future comforts. Though Lawrence's two wickets and an exceptional catch at gully was enough to net him the Player of the Match award at the end of day four's play, Gay's duck at the start means the position as opener is back up for grabs. Even a senior head like Duckett, ending the series with an average of 8.80 from five innings, will be anxious.
Cox has opened in first-class cricket and will be the first to tell you he is equipped to do it at this level. Even as a wicketkeeper, he has been ticking over those skills with assistant coach Sarah Taylor during this series, perhaps sensing an opportunity, which no doubt triggered Smith to produced his best displays yet as a keeper.
That opportunity came on Friday, after Smith damaged his left ring finger. Cox had all of 96.4 overs deputising ably behind the stumps, pocketing five dismissals.
There is something to be said for having a player of Cox's assurance out in the middle and brazen confidence in a dressing room to keep team-mates on their toes. Even at the start of the summer, he had no qualms heading to the IPL for a stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. For him, it made more sense to test his wits out in India than churn more domestically, believing his County Championship output for Essex was already good enough to put him in the fray for England's rebuild after the winter's 4-1 Ashes loss.
Channeled correctly, that chutzpah will do him wonders. And, as with Smith, enhance self-improvement within the squad - something the previous iteration under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum lacked. It is the kind of arrogance that made England's new limited-overs consultant Kevin Pietersen what he was.
"I didn't really know what to make of him when I first met him," Root said with a wry smile, having got to know Cox better this summer after overseeing his debut when standing in for Stokes at The Oval, then as team-mates in the Hundred for Welsh Fire ahead of the Pakistan series. "But the more time spend with him, I really enjoy his company."
That much was evident in their stand, and the penultimate ball of the match was not the only one that Cox overruled his captain. On a few occasions, Root was implored to call better when Cox was looking to give Pakistan's close-in fielders the run-around - something Root himself does to his partners if he fears they are switching off. Cox even made a note of coming down the track to garden on the handful of times Root was beaten, as if he were the senior Jedi, buying time for his Padawan.
That underlying alpha-dom was in play for all of Cox's 24.1 overs at the crease. When Friday night's hero Razaullah returned for his second spell after a three-over burst with the new ball, Cox drove straight back past him for four, barely moving into the shot, then re-scratching his crease before the ball had even made it to the fence. He paddled Saim Ayub around the corner for four inside short fine, then swiped a long-hop off the spinner's next over to move to 50 from 61 balls.
"He's a great lad. He's obviously a extremely talented player across all three formats. And I think he's got a huge amount to offer English cricket," Root said.
"Once I'd spent time with him and got to know him a bit better, he is a very confident young lad. But he's got the skills to back it up too, and he's got the technique to manage it. That's a great combination to have when you come into Test cricket."
The question now is which combination England go with moving forward. That conundrum awaits Stephen Fleming, who is due to arrive in the country over the next couple of days to assume the full-time role as Test head coach.
The week ahead will feature meetings with Root and managing director Rob Key, which will involve chewing the fat over the Pakistan series before thoughts turn to the upcoming winter, starting with South Africa.
In a bowler's series, batters have tried to pitch to be a part of Fleming's England. None more convincingly than Cox.