Joe Root finally ended his long wait for a Test century in Australia, bringing relief not only to England fans but also to former Australian opener Matthew Hayden and his family. The England batter reached three figures on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, marking his first-ever Test century on Australian soil. Root’s milestone came after years of scrutiny over his performances Down Under, with many questioning whether he could ever crack the code in Aussie conditions.
Before this series, Hayden himself had jokingly raised the stakes during pre-Ashes discussions, promising to walk naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground if Root failed to score a century this time. With Root finally delivering, Hayden could breathe easy—and it turns out he wasn’t the only one feeling relieved. His daughter, Grace Hayden, reacted to the moment with a humorous Instagram Story, posting a selfie along with the caption, “Root, thank you, you’ve saved all our eyes,” poking fun at her father’s bold pre-series claim.
Hayden also shared a congratulatory message through a video posted by England Cricket, acknowledging Root’s achievement and expressing his delight at seeing the veteran batter finally reach the milestone. Root’s innings helped stabilize England after a shaky period, with late fireworks alongside Jofra Archer pushing the team to 325/9 by stumps on Day 1.
The pink-ball Test also saw Mitchell Starc starring once again, picking up six wickets and continuing his impressive record under lights. Ben Stokes’ decision to bat first paid off early as Zak Crawley contributed a fluent 76 from 93 balls, giving England a solid foundation before Root took charge of the innings.