Andy Bichel unloads on England skipper Joe Root over Lord's catch

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne walks off the pitch after being given out caught by England's Joe Root off the bowling of England's Jack Leach after an umpire review. Photo / AP

Throughout the last 18 months Steve Smith has been labelled a cheat plenty of times, now after his controversial 'catch' on the final day of the draw second Test at Lord's England captain Joe Root is copping it.

The England captain claimed to have taken a diving catch to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne and the video umpire decided not to overturn the decision despite replays seeming to show that it bounced just before Root got his hands under the ball.

After the Test, Root was adamant that he'd been honest.

"As a fielder you know if your fingers are under the ball, I clearly felt that was the case. I'm an honest guy, I am not going to try and cheat the game regardless of the situation," Root said.

Now former Australian paceman Andy Bichel has hit out at England's captain.

"It didn't carry. We can see that," Bichel said on Macquarie Sports Radio.

England's Joe Root, left and England's Stuart Broad walk from the pitch after England and Australia drew the 2nd Ashes test at Lord's cricket ground in London. Photo / AP

"It's ricocheted off the player as well so it's bobbled a little bit to him so therefore he'd know if he's picked it up on the half volley.

"It's blatant cheating."

Bichel also wasn't happy about the way Root treated Labuschagne during the review.

"To stand there and all of a sudden give Marnus a bit of a send off as well when Marnus is seeing the footage on the screen that he's not out and shouldn't be out. It was a real bizarre one from Joe (Root)," Bichel said.

"You'd like to think there'd be a gentleman's approach to that and just say 'mate, I didn't catch that' and you don't even go upstairs for it.

"It's a little low point for a man under pressure in Joe Root. He hasn't got any runs and now it's just mounting on him day by day."

Bichel, who knows a thing or two about shockingly being on the outer with Australian Test selectors — when his Test career ended after taking five wickets in a loss to India at the Adelaide Oval — lamented the fact that dangerous Aussie quick Mitchell Starc has been overlooked for the series so far.

"The fact that you have got someone with that pace … and you can just poll Joe Root, give him a phone call and as 'who would you rather face, Peter Siddle or Mitchell Starc?' You know what he is going to say, it's a bit bemusing," Bichel said.

"You can afford to play someone like Mitchell Starc who can go for three or so runs an over but also pick up wickets.

"He's obviously done something wrong.
"He got through the World Cup quite easily physically speaking, there is something he hasn't impressed on in that group of quicks — he was our lead Test bowler through the summer and now he's not playing — it's strange the way it is all playing out."

Australia will look to extend their Ashes series lead when the third Test begins in Leeds on Thursday.