Student claims Joe Root got "smashed" in Nottingham bar before Ashes opener

England batsman Joe Root reportedly got drunk with his teammates in Nottingham before the Ashes series got underway in Cardiff on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old impressed with the bat by scoring 134 runs on day one of the first Test against Australia at the SWALEC Stadium.

However, according to the Daily Star, before travelling to Wales, Root, Steven Finn, Ben Stokes and Alex Hales partied with students in Nottingham.

The report quotes 20-year-old Kyle O'Sullivan as saying: "Joe was absolutely smashed, he was the best of the lot. I can remember dancing to 'Cotton Eye Joe' with him, earning him a new nickname."

Root top-scored for England during their first innings of the opening Test.