Joe Root takes a spectacular catch at fourth slip to send back Josh Hazlewood

Cricket’s greatest rivalry — The Ashes has witnessed players taking their standards to a different level and so does Joe Root in the ongoing Ashes series. A look in the scoreboard will say that England won the third Test at Birmingham with relative ease but it was much closer than that with spectacular moments like these playing a role in determining the result.

Slip cordon is the most difficult area to field in a Test match. It demands tremendous concentration and activeness for hours and suddenly a ball will rocket towards you. Root has been one of the most brilliant English fielders and on this occasion he gave a testimony of his athleticism on the field.

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Australia after a poor performance with the bat in the first innings of the Test were again under the pump after conceding a lead of 145 runs. In the second innings, they were precariously placed at 245 for eight, when Ben Stokes charged in and bowled a good length delivery which was straying away from the left-handed Josh Hazlewood. He was in no position to play the cut shot which he attempted and got a thick outside edge. The ball flew towards the slip cordon like a tracer bullet; Root who was fielding at fourth slip went for the catch as the leather stuck to his right hand. He pulled of an absolute ripper with this exquisite piece of fielding.

The Australians were bowled out for 265 in the second innings and set a target of 121 runs for England to chase. Eventually, England won the Test by eight wickets and gained a lead of 2-1 in the five-match Test series.