Joe Root scripts history after ending century drought in Australia
Published - 04 Dec 2025, 05:41 PM
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England’s hopes in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 got a huge boost in Brisbane as Joe Root finally ended the one thing missing from his brilliant career—a Test century in Australia. Joe Root stepped up and played a superb innings during a very difficult phase at the Gabba.
The conditions were tough from the start at the Gabba in the second Ashes Test between Australia and India. Mitchell Starc was in sublime form with the pink ball, and once the lights came on, the ball started swinging and bouncing sharply on Day 1 at The Gabba.
Joe Root revives England's Ashes 2025-26 hopes in Australia
England was in deep trouble at 5/2 after Starc removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope for ducks. Root walked in with pressure already sky-high. The former England captain had already arrived in Australia with the pressure of not scoring a Test century Down Under despite all his achievements.
Read Also: Mitchell Starc overtakes Wasim Akram as most successful left-arm Test pacer
And then failures in both innings in the Ashes 2025-26 opener in Perth, including a duck, only made the criticism louder. For a player of Root’s class, going 16 tests in Australia without a century was surprising and even a little embarrassing.
But in his 16th Test in Australia, Root finally ended that Test century drought in style after 12 years. He stayed calm even as wickets fell around him and as Australia’s bowlers kept pushing him with tough spells. Cameron Green troubled him with bounce.
Joe Root ends 12-year wait, smashes maiden Test century in Australia
On the other hand, Starc kept attacking him with pace, and every run came with pressure. Even Root also had nervous moments in the 90s, but he remained for his team. He built a match-changing 117-run partnership with Zak Crawley, whose steady 76 helped England settle.
After Crawley fell, Root stitched a 54-run partnership with Harry Brook and then got some support from Ben Stokes. But it was Root who kept the scoreboard moving for most of the innings. Root scored his maiden Test century on Australian soil after 181 balls.
It was his first ever in Australia, his fifth against Australia overall, and the 40th of his Test career. It also came after 30 attempts to score a hundred in an away Ashes Test.
Read Also: Irfan Pathan blames Ravindra Jadeja’s lack of urgency for India’s 4-wicket loss to South Africa
Joe Root creates history at The Gabba after ending 12-year curse
His patience, discipline, and class not only helped England fight back strongly in the ongoing Day-Night Test against Australia at The Gabba but also helped Joe Root script the history.
With this knock, Root became the first batter to score 22 centuries in the ICC World Test Championship. Steve Smith sits on the second spot with 13 centuries followed by Marnus Labuschagne with 11 tons in the WTC.
Additionally, Root becomes England’s undisputed king of centuries after reaching his 59th international hundred with his latest ton at the Gabba. He is now England’s leading century maker in international cricket. Root now sits far ahead of Alastair Cook (38), Kevin Pietersen (32), Graham Gooch (28), and Andrew Strauss (27) in this elite list.
Well, Root remains unbeaten on 135 off 202 balls, studded with 15 boundaries and one six, and pushed England to 325/9 at the stumps on Day 1 of the ongoing second Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba. Starc shined with a six-wicket haul on the opening day with the pink ball.
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Joe Root England National Cricket Team Australia National Cricket Team Ashes Australia vs EnglandAbout the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ...
