Joe Root finally ended one of the most talked-about droughts in modern Test cricket by scoring his first ever century on Australian soil, an outstanding unbeaten 135 on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, Brisbane. After 12 years, 30 previous Ashes innings in Australia and growing scrutiny over his record Down Under, the England star delivered an innings that may prove crucial in keeping the visitors alive in the series.
England were in trouble early when they collapsed to 5-2 and later 211-6 against a fiery Australian attack led by Mitchell Starc. The Gabba has historically been a burial ground for England’s Ashes ambitions, and another familiar collapse seemed inevitable. But Root remained composed and resilient, guiding the innings through the toughest spells, particularly during the evening session when the pink ball moved sharply under lights.
This century carries deeper significance because Root’s previous tours of Australia were painful chapters in his career and for the England team. Across three Ashes series in Australia since 2013-14, England have failed to win a single Test, suffering heavy defeats of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0, with Root enduring personal lows including being dropped in 2014, hospitalised from heat exhaustion in 2017-18, and repeatedly struck while batting during the 2021-22 whitewash. Despite scoring six fifties in those tours, the century always eluded him, becoming an unwanted talking point that critics used to question his greatness.
The moment of release came when Root glanced Scott Boland to fine leg to move from 98 to 102, triggering emotional celebrations among England supporters at the ground. Root himself marked the milestone with only a quiet shrug towards the dressing room—more relief than celebration after years of frustration and public pressure.
Root’s unbeaten 135, supported by Jofra Archer’s valuable 32*, lifted England to 325-9 at stumps, giving them a genuine chance to push for their first Test win in Australia since 2011 and their first at the Gabba since 1986. The innings also silences what was arguably the last critique of an already exceptional career.
Former captain Sir Alastair Cook hailed the knock as one of Root’s finest, calling him “England’s greatest batsman ever” and insisting that even Australian audiences must now recognise his status among cricket’s modern greats. With this century, Root not only rewrites his personal record book but also revives England’s hopes of turning this Ashes battle around.
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