England captain Eoin Morgan admitted Australia were "too good" for his side as the tourists clinched the ODI series with a thrilling three-wicket win at Emirates Old Trafford.
Centuries from Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell took Australia to the brink of victory in the deciding third ODI but England kept themselves in contention as they dismissed the pair in quick succession to leave the visitors needing 10 from the final over.
Australia beat England in thrilling series deciderPundits' moments of the summer
Mitchell Starc, who had taken two wickets in two balls to start the match, got them with a six and a four off Adil Rashid to inflict England's first defeat in a bilateral ODI series since January 2017 and their first at home since 2015, again to Australia.
"We were still in the game (going into the last over)," Morgan said. "When you can break big partnerships and the ball is offering a little bit and it is probably getting more difficult to bat as the innings goes on, you're never out of the game.
"Having someone like Adil Rashid gives us that option as well, even when the game is getting away from us. But Australia, given their performance today, were too good for us.
to us, guys have stood up which has been brilliant."
While Morgan prepares to head off to the IPL, along with a number of his England team, the coronavirus pandemic means it is unclear when the side will next be playing together.
A white-ball tour of South Africa is tentatively scheduled for November but wherever England's next engagement is, Morgan believes the bio-secure bubbles the ECB have created have provided a blueprint for other nations to learn from.
"From where we were five months ago to have had a full set of international fixtures and to have cricket back on the TV is huge for the game," he said.
"I think we've pioneered and mapped out exactly how to get cricket back on. Given we've had no positive cases within the bubble I think it is a very good example and one every team around the world will look at.
"Whether they can model it exactly like that might be a bit more challenging but I think the ECB has done an outstanding job."
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