Extraordinary Joe: England's 'greatest ever' at it again

It was one of those wow moments.

From the second ball he faced on day four at Trent Bridge, Joe Root reverse-scooped a dumbfounded Tim Southee for six over third man.

"Unbelievable," said Michael Atherton, on commentary. "Outrageous," added Simon Doull. "When you're that good you can do what you want it seems," said Ben Foakes at stumps, having been at the non-striker's end when Root played the most impudent of shots.

"As current players, we have the ability to rewrite the coaching manual," Root had told Sky Sports before play. Well, Joe, you've succeeded - again.

England captain Ben Stokes, no stranger to moments of audacious cricketing brilliance himself, was probably shaking his head in awe.

Stokes had done just that on day three after watching Root whip Southee for an on-side four - stunned at the ease with which his team-mate is making the arduous task of scoring Test runs look.

That boundary through midwicket took Root past 150 for the 13th time in the Test format. Earlier on Sunday, he had clinched his 27th Test hundred.

It was his 10th ton in his last 22 matches, during which time he has now reeled off 2,368 runs at an average of 59.20. "This is Joe Root's world and we are living in it," were Nasser Hussain's words. Quite.

There was a time not so long ago when Root's place among the 'Fab Four' - Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli the other members of that - appeared to be slipping. Not anymore.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam's advancement means that is arguably now a 'Fab Five'. Australia's Marnus Labuschagne could suggest it is a 'Supreme Six' - but however large that group is, Root surely heads it at the moment.

The ICC Test rankings don't reflect that, with Labuschagne at the summit, but it seems