It was the 181st delivery he faced, a simple tuck around the corner, but the relief felt like it carried the weight of a decade. After more than twelve long years, Joe Root finally, finally, has a Test century in Australia. You could almost feel the collective exhale from England fans across the globe as the weight of that very specific, very heavy burden lifted from his shoulders at the Gabba.
Key Highlights
- ✓ After more than 12 years and 2213 deliveries, Joe Root scored his first Test hundred in Australia.
- ✓ England closed day one of the second Test at the Gabba on a commanding 325 for 9.
- ✓ Zak Crawley bounced back from a pair in Perth with a crucial 76, sharing a 117-run stand with Root.
- ✓ Australian paceman Josh Hazlewood suffered a new Achilles injury, putting his Ashes series in jeopardy.
- ✓ Root and Jofra Archer piled on a rapid, unbeaten 61 for the tenth wicket to cap off the day.
A Decade of Drought, A Moment of Relief
Let’s just soak that in for a minute. When a 22-year-old Root first walked out at this very ground back in 2013, he was the golden boy, the anointed one from Yorkshire destined for greatness. And he found greatness, becoming Test cricket’s second-highest run-scorer. But this one thing, this one stubborn box, remained unticked, and it was a big one.
For over a decade, Australia has been a land of no glory and no joy for him. Tour after tour, the questions grew louder. The celebration, when it came, was an almost ironic shrug, as if to say, "What were you all so worried about?" But we knew, and he knew. This thing mattered. It was the milestone that had him training for an entire day at Lilac Hill before this series, pushing himself relentlessly.
A Shaky Start and a Captain's Pride
The day didn't start like a fairy tale, though. Far from it. This was a classic throwback to the bad old days for England in Australia. Root was striding to the crease to face the 16th ball of the match with the score at a disastrous 5 for 2. Mitchell Starc was on fire, having just removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in a devastating opening burst.
And it almost ended before it began. On just 2, he edged Starc, but Steve Smith at slip couldn't hang on to a tough chance. Luck, grit, and an ingrained understanding of survival got him through. As he dug in, you couldn't help but notice his mate and captain, Ben Stokes, watching on. Stokes knows Root's Australian pain better than anyone, having been there for the disastrous tours of '13-14 and '21-22. As the hundred came up, Stokes was visibly holding back tears—a testament to how much this meant to the whole team.
Crawley's Comeback Kid Performance
Root couldn’t have done it alone, and the day’s other hero was undoubtedly Zak Crawley. Coming into this match after bagging a pair in Perth, the pressure on him was immense. But instead of crumbling, he produced a brilliant, counter-attacking 76. His dominance in the initial 117-run partnership was exactly what England—and Root—needed.
Crawley absorbed the early pressure and allowed Root to play in his slipstream. By the time Crawley fell, Root was on 41 and finding his rhythm. Crawley later revealed that he simply tuned out the media criticism, saying, "I have not seen any of the media stuff around my last game. I am sure it was not great, but I have not seen any of that so it did not affect me at all." That's some serious mental fortitude.
From Composure to Chaos: A Wild Final Hour
Cricket is a funny game. After the calm of the Root-Crawley partnership, a familiar England collapse saw them lose 5 wickets for just 54 runs. It included a chaotic run-out involving Stokes, where Root rightly trusted his own judgment over his captain’s call, a decision that saved his own wicket when he was on 77. In the past, that kind of collapse would have been terminal.
But once Root got to his hundred, it was like a switch flipped. The man who had been so disciplined suddenly became liberated. He unfurled an audacious reverse scoop for six off Scott Boland—his first-ever six in Australia. He and Jofra Archer then launched a thrilling counter-attack, smashing an unbeaten 61 for the final wicket, turning a decent total into a dominant one. According to Crawley, there was "no talk of a declaration." The plan was simply to "go really hard," and it paid off beautifully.
Australia's Mounting Injury Woes
While England celebrated, there was more gloomy news for the home side. Their pace attack, already missing Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, took another hit with the confirmation that Josh Hazlewood has suffered a fresh injury. After managing a hamstring problem, he’s now picked up a low-grade Achilles issue.
He's now in serious doubt for the rest of the Ashes series. This prolongs a deeply frustrating run for the 34-year-old, who has missed Tests in six of the last eight home summers. Former Aussie pacer Damien Fleming sounded pessimistic, suggesting a return in the Melbourne Test "at best." It's a significant blow for Australia and provides crucial context to England's batting success on day one.
Conclusion
What a day of Test cricket. It had everything: a disastrous start, a gutsy fightback, a career-defining milestone, and a chaotic, thrilling finish. For Joe Root, this wasn't just another hundred; it was the silencing of a narrative that has followed him for his entire career. He wasn't just scoring runs; he was reinforcing his legacy as England's greatest-ever batter. With England finishing on a high at 325 for 9 and Australia's bowling stocks looking thin, the Ashes are well and truly alive.
