OK, so who are the favourites now?

Brooks Koepka, in the last couple of years, has put together an astounding run of form in the major championships.

Of the past six events, the American has won three – one US Open and a USPGA Championship – and finished as runner-up twice.

Add his debut major victory at the US Open in 2017 and you have the kind of streak that hasn’t been performed by too many others in the sport’s history.

But away from the headline tournaments, Koepka’s record is decent without being earth-shattering; he has had a couple of PGA Tour triumphs, the same number in Japan and a solitary European Tour victory to pad out his CV.

The point of this, in a sort-of related way, is that he has found a way of tuning his performance so that it peaks when it really matters.

Of course he is trying to come out on top every time he steps on to a golf course but there is obviously something, wittingly or otherwise, that clicks in the rarefied air and when the spotlight is at its brightest.

I’m fairly certain I’ve written in a previous column on this website (I’ve had a dig around but couldn’t find it so you’ll have to take my word for it!) that I wouldn’t bet against either the Germans in a football World Cup and the Australians in the cricketing equivalent.

When it comes to these tournaments, both tend to find decent form regardless of what has gone before and both know how to win when the games matter more than most. It seemingly doesn’t matter that the personnel may have changed or that the conditions are different.

Australia’s produced impressive performances so far this World Cup. (Andy Kearns/Getty Images)

Come 2022 in Qatar, Germany will be a short price to get their hands on what would be their fifth Jules Rimet Trophy, just as Australia were at small numbers to earn win number six before the ongoing soiree began.

And on yesterday’s showing at Lord’s, would you bet against Aaron Finch joining such luminaries as Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in July 14?

A semi-final place already secured, a couple of top-order batsmen scoring heavily, the most potent seamer in the limited overs game in fine fettle and the victories being racked up – four on the bounce and counting – this is the kind form that will make others extremely wary.

Of course, in India and New Zealand there are others who could justifiably lay claim to a similar standing. For what it’s worth I’d still lean towards Virat Kohli et al if pushed for a winner, but what was on showing in North London was very good.

Finch and David Warner are in excellent touch and while Steve Smith could probably do with being a place higher as surely he’s a better bet than Usman Khawaja, some of the criticism directed at the batting is misplaced given the competition hasn’t been the run-scoring free-for-all many predicted.

They’ve got what they’ve got and if nothing else, the victory over England provided evidence that if you can post a decent score and you have an attack that doesn’t simply look to contain, you give yourselves every chance.

The form graph is showing an upward trend and, apologies for resorting to cliché, they are a side that look as if they know how to win games.

On the flip side, and this is where the undefinable comes into clear sight, their most recent opponents are heading quickly in the opposite direction.

All indicators in the lead-up pointed at England as the team to beat. Excellent form, home conditions, a gung-ho ‘however many you score, we’ll score more’ approach and players free from the shackles of the past, this was to be their year.

It could still be as whether they reach the last four is still in their own hands, but the cracks are showing and any more of what they served up at Lord’s, and against India and New Zealand of all people, is hardly likely to stand them in good stead.

Ben Stokes kicks his bat in frustration. (Photo by Andy Kearns/Getty Images)

It was hesitant, it was indecisive and it was a pale shadow of the very thing that had seen them installed as the bookmakers’ favourites.

The World Cup hasn’t been good to England down the years and the last week has shown that it certainly won’t allow them to have an easy ride this time around.

The ghosts of tournaments past are sensing a real opportunity for another outing and as the pressure intensifies, as it most certainly will over the next few days, they desperately need to discover their spark.

This is the aforementioned undefinable trait; some players and some teams have the knack of doing just that.