Joe Root’s long wait for a Test century in Australia came to an end on Thursday, and the milestone came as an unexpected relief to former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, who had publicly vowed that if Root did not score a century on Australia’s tour. Hayden, who has vowed to “walk naked around the MCG” if Root doesn’t score an Ashes hundred this summer, congratulated the England batsman soon after the milestone, calling it a moment he “literally” invested in.
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“Congratulations mate on the hundred in Australia. It took you a while and there was no one with more skin in the game than me, literally,” Hayden said video published by England Cricket on X After 16 matches, 30 innings and four tours spread over a decade, Joe Root finally got his moment in Australia. The England batsman scored his maiden century on Australian soil at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday, in the second Test of the ongoing Ashes series, ending a long wait. Root reached the milestone in 181 balls, coming through a phase when England needed stability and control, and in the process ticked off one of the few achievements missing from his record.His previous highest Test score on Australian soil was 89.With Thursday’s century, Joe Root has scored 40 hundreds in his Test career. Root is now only one behind former Australian captain Ricky Ponting who has 41 Test caps.Overall, Root is fourth in terms of centuries in Tests, behind only Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45) and Ricky Ponting (41).At the end of the first day at the Gabba, England were 325/9 with Joe Root (135) and Jofra Archer (32) at the crease.Australia, who won the opening Test over two days in Perth, went into this match without regular captain Pat Cummins.He was tipped to return soon from a back injury, but instead the hosts sprung a major surprise when they left out off-spinner Nathan Lyon and left out seamer Michael Neser instead.It was the first time in nearly 14 years that Australia had played a Test at home without a front spinner.
Big relief for Mathew Hayden
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has expressed his belief that England batsman Joe Root’s ace will break his century drought Down Under during the Ashes series.Hayden said he was willing to walk around the Melbourne Cricket Ground completely naked if Root did not score a century on the tour. Speaking on YouTube’s ‘All Over Bar the Cricket’ podcast, Hayden took a huge gamble if Root didn’t score a century for Australia during the series, saying: “I’ll be walking around the MCG naked if he doesn’t make a hundred this summer.”The former Indian off-spinner cheekily barked at Hayden after the ton. “Haydos should get dressed,” Ashwin wrote on X after Root’s ton. In another post he said: “Haydos now safe.”
