His team may be 1-0 down in the Ashes, but as an individual Joe Root is back on top of the world right now.
England's talisman with the bat was one of the shining lights of their thrilling two-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, hitting a majestic 118 not out on the opening day. Indeed, he would arguably have scored much higher, were it not for the much debated call of captain Ben Stokes to declare on 393-8.
He was flowing nicely in the second innings too, on 46 after a series of audacious ramp shots. His dismissal, stumped as he looked to launch an attack on Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon, proved a critical point in curtailing the hosts as they tried to set a big total.
Root has continued his form from when he himself had the reigns, often carrying the side single handedly amid their pre-Bazball struggles. His ton in Birmingham was his 30th at Test level, and on 11,168 runs, he is almost certain to go way beyond Alastair Cook's current England record of 12,472.
And he's credited Sky pundit Nasser Hussain for helping sort the issues he faced earlier in his career. Root developed a reputation for getting out softly when set to go big and Hussain, a man who knows all about the pressures of trying to score runs whilst leading his country, offered advice.
"Nasser Hussain gave me some information about modes of dismissal in different periods of my innings and how to manage my game," Root told the BBC. "It's nice to know there are people out there willing to help, even though it can seem like they are trying to rip your game apart on occasions. He went out of his way to make an impact in my career and I was grateful, because it was a big help."
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The 32-year-old also admitted a change of mindset whilst in charge helped elevate his game: "There were periods when I was captain, batting wasn't necessarily fun, it was about going out there to have some peace and quiet, having some time to myself," he added. "It was a time to shut off from the rest of the world, to just have me and the cricket ball. It worked."
Root's immediate focus will be helping Stokes and co level the series at Lord's this week. And his role has now taken on even greater importance, with the home side opting to drop Moeen Ali in favour of Josh Tongue.
It leaves Root, who take a crucial wicket in the final session but was also hammered about in his final over by Pat Cummins, as England's only spin option. He thus far has 55 test wickets, at an average of 46.29.
