SA vs ENG 2019-20: Chris Silverwood happy with 'good headaches' after series win

England head coach Chris Silverwood is extremely proud of the way the England team fought back from being 0-1 in the series against South Africa to winning it 3-1. The visitors' team was plagued with injuries and illness but they managed to fight through it and win yet another overseas Test series.

"It's been quite a journey since we arrived in South Africa. [The illness in the squad] was tough but you can't use it as an excuse," Silverwood told Sky Sports.

"The one thing it did do, was it pulled us together as a unit. We had a good chat in the dressing room after the first Test, and you could see the determination on the guys' faces. So I wasn't surprised when they came out and played as well as they did, but I'm obviously very proud of them," he further added.

Silverwood, however, believed that this was just the beginning of the two-year project that began with England's tour of New Zealand and will end when England will travel to Australia for the Ashes in 2021-22. Silverwood always has been pretty vocal about his desire to help England regain the Ashes away in Australia.

In the absence of James Anderson and Jofra Archer, Mark Wood stepped up with a nine-wicket haul in the fourth Test, giving England extra options in the pace department. Ollie Pope also impressed with the bat in the series. Silverwood believed that this is a good selection headache and will only help their squad to build up for the all-important Ashes in a couple of years' time.

"It's a great headache to have for Root as captain and me as head coach. In an ideal situation, we'd like to have two or three fast bowlers kicking around but we don't have to play them every game. In this Test, Woody comes in and makes an impact, but another day, we can give him a day off because we've got Jofra coming in now," Silverwood asserted.