Joe Root Breaks the Deadlock; Scores FIRST EVER Century in Australia

The England stalwart, Joe Root, having reached a fifty while England recovered from a tough opening session at the Gabba, gradually assumed full control of the innings, and Joe Root centuries in Australia will finally be off the buzz as he transformed his start into a splendid hundred, his first on Australian soil. Mitchell Starc’s early wickets had left England struggling at 5 for 2. However, Joe Root and Zak Crawley came to the rescue, and their partnership steadied England.

Once Root got his eye settled, he began smashing the ball through gaps with his trademark late cuts. When he finally reached three figures, the England balcony erupted, and former Australian opener Matthew Hayden must be a happy man.

He made a bold statement before the Ashes, insisting that he would walk around the Melbourne Cricket Ground naked if Joe Root failed to score a hundred during the upcoming Test series this winter. Hayden’s daughter, Grace Hayden, had even encouraged Root to reach three figures so her father wouldn’t have to face an awkward moment in front of the home fans.

Joe Root Hundred in Australia: England Legend Finally Gets There

England’s highest run-getter in Tests, Joe Root, was yet to reach triple figures on Australian soil despite 15 matches and 29 innings there. He even struggled in the series opener, where Mitchell Starc dismissed him on both occasions, but the wait is finally over as he smashed his maiden century on Australian soil during the AUS vs ENG 2nd Test, which is the 40th century of his Test career.

Root took 181 deliveries to reach his hundred, taking England into a far more competitive position in the contest. Until this knock, his highest score on Australian soil had been 89 at the Gabba during the 2021 tour. Across his earlier three Test visits to Australia, Root managed nine fifties but never succeeded in pushing any of those innings beyond the 90s.

He also crossed the milestone of 1,000 Test runs in Australia, becoming only the 16th Englishman to achieve the feat. The record for the most Test runs by an England player in Australia still belongs to Jack Hobbs with 2,493 runs to his name.

List of Players with Most Centuries in Test Cricket

Joe Root Ashes hundred has further cemented his status as one of the best Test batsmen in the world. His maiden hundred in Australia also happens to be his 40th in Test cricket, putting him just one short of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who sits third on the all-time list with 41 centuries.

Jacques Kallis occupies second place with 45 Test tons, while the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, remains well out in front with an unmatched tally of 51 centuries. By reaching the 40-century milestone, Root is a part of an exclusive group of all-time greats.

He is ahead of legends like Kumar Sangakkara, who finished with 38 Test tons, and Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith, both on 36. They are followed by some of the best batsmen in the world Younis Khan, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara, and Mahela Jayawardene in this elite list.