As they have all summer, Australian captain Michael Clarke and his English counterpart Alastair Cook are again flying in different directions.

Clarke flies to South Africa, while Cook flies home after admitting his English team choked in the fifth and final one-dayer in Adelaide on Sunday night.

Chasing 218 to win, the tourists crumbled to 212 all out – losing their last seven wickets for 58 runs to gift Australia a 4-1 series triumph.

“Credit to Australia – at the end, they held their nerve better than we did,” said Cook, who returns to England on Monday.

“You get a bit of confidence from winning games of cricket and Australia have had a great summer against us, they have managed to win crucial times.

“And on the back end of three months of that, it probably showed.”

Clarke flies to South Africa on Wednesday for a three-Test series against the Proteas starting February 12.

“I have got two days (off). We fly out on Wednesday, so I’m looking forward to that,” Clarke said.

“We will get to South Africa and try and start preparing for an important Test series.”

Clarke’s Australians appeared doomed for defeat in Adelaide after making just 9-217 from their 50 overs.

But with pacemen Nathan Coulter-Nile and Clint McKay each taking three wickets, and all-rounder James Faulkner claiming two, the Australians fought their way back into the game.

England needed eight runs, with one wicket in hand, from Shane Watson’s final over – and were bowled out with two balls remaining.

“It has obviously been a tough couple of months from us,” said Cook, whose side was trounced 5-0 in the five-Test Ashes series.

“But there is a lot of talent in this team and we can hold our heads up high, we have run Australia close on a couple of occasions.

“We haven’t got over the line, but we have got a lot to work on. In 12 months time we should be in better shape for the World Cup.”