England’s veteran batter Joe Root has finally ended his long wait to score his first-ever test century on Australian soil. After 4,395 days of his debut in Australia, the English batting stalwart achieved the historic milestone in his 30th test inning.

The visitors’ first innings concluded with 325/9 in 74 overs at stumps, with Root remaining unbeaten on 135 out of 202 deliveries faced (including 15 fours and 1 six) at a strike rate of 66.83. This was his 40th test hundred scored in his career and is one short of former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, who scored 41 test tons to his name.

During the pink ball test at The Gabba, Brisbane, England batters had a tough time dealing with Australian pacer Mitchell Starc’s 6-fer (6/71 in 19 overs). But Root’s century partnership with Zak Crawley (76 runs) for the third wicket accelerated the team’s momentum.

Root’s Several Years of Jinx in Australia Finally Broken

Since Joe Root’s test debut against India in 2012, he has been a core player for his team for the past 14 years. Despite his incredible stats in the longest format, the right-handed batter was short of scoring a test ton on Australian soil.

To explain in other words, the English batter struggled for years to end his test century drought in Australia.

After 16 matches and 30 innings played at the Aussies’ backyard, Root succeeded in registering his maiden test century.

Especially, scoring a hundred in the pink ball test is extremely hard, which requires the highest level of determination and patience. But Root deserved a standing ovation from his teammates and spectators for accumulating a triple-digit score against the Aussies’ formidable bowling attack on a challenging pitch.

Root’s Chances to Score Maiden Double Test Ton vs Australia

Joe Root is on the verge of scoring his maiden double century against Australia in test cricket. The 34-year-old has maintained an unbeaten 61-run partnership with Jofra Archer.

Archer’s valiant 32-run knock off 26 balls (including 1 four and 2 sixes) promises England to give more chances to bat for a prolonged duration on Day 02. As the surfaces at The Gabba tend to become better, there are chances for Root to accomplish another sensational milestone to his name.

Most importantly, Australia, for the first time in 14 years, has opted to play without its key spinner in home tests. This gives an additional advantage for Root to conveniently tackle the pace bowling attack of the hosts.

Mitchell Starc’s Tribute to Joe Root’s Maiden Ton in Australia

Mitchell Starc, who spearheaded Australia’s bowling attack with six wickets on Day 01, hailed Joe Root’s heroic knocks:

“Yeah! He would certainly be relieved after scoring a century here. I think he scored the most fifties in Australia. But the way he analyzed the current conditions and played was truly fantastic. He soaked up some pressure and ultimately turned the result towards his team’s favor at the end of the day,” Starc said.

The 35-year-old Aussie bowler proved to be lethal against England’s top, middle, and lower order. He claimed the crucial wickets of Ben Duckett (0), Ollie Pope (0), Harry Brook (31), Will Jacks (19), Gus Atkinson (4), and Brydon Carse (0).

Despite the core English batters failing to convert their starts into high-scoring knocks, Starc’s bowling wasn’t able to tame Root’s masterclass performance on the opening day.

Root’s Former Teammate Heaped Praises

Alastair Cook, the former English captain, confidently declared that the Aussies will now have to accept the fact that Joe Root is the greatest test player. Here is what the star batter’s ex-teammate had to say:

“Definitely! Root played one such brilliant innings, which England required the most. Even though he batted under pressure, he performed superbly as usual. Even the Australians need to agree that he is the greatest and England’s best batter to date. His batting skills get better and better in every game,” Cook said.

Root Becomes England’s 7th Leading Run Scorer in The Ashes! 

With 2,571 runs in 68 innings, Joe Root outbeat Alastair Cook’s tally of 2,493 runs to become the seventh-highest run scorer for England in The Ashes.

Here is how Root’s 40th test century made him rank in the elite list of those English batters who amassed the most runs in the test series against Australia: