England’s Joe Root, one of the best Test cricket players of the modern era, achieved a remarkable personal milestone by scoring his first century on Australian soil.
This happened on Day 1 of the second Ashes Test, being played at The Gabba in Brisbane.
His parents were also in attendance, and their reaction to his maiden Test ton Down Under was captured in a video that was later uploaded on social media. Check it out:
A moment the Root family will never forget ❤️#Ashes pic.twitter.com/Ybo2tSdRJg
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) December 4, 2025
They seem a tad nervois as Root reached the score 98, but then stood with to applaud their son as he reached his century, simultaneously helping England reach a competitive first innings score.
Joe Root Test Stats
Joe Root has represented England in 160 Test matches so far (including The Ashes 2nd Test), in which he has scored over 13,500 runs.
Among these runs are 40 centuries, and the latest one would perhaps be his most cherished, as it is the first time he has hit the three-figure mark in Australia, England’s rivals.
This ton has also come at a crucial time for Three Lions, as it helped them reach a competitive 300+ first innings score despite the loss of several wickets on the other end.
With 40 Test centuries, he is know just one behind Ricky Ponting, the Aussie great, and 5 behind South African legend, Jacques Kallis.
At the top with most tons in this format is India’s Sachin Tendulkar, regarded as the God of cricket, with 51 Test centuries, a record that Root will have to strive to break or even equal.
Ashes 2nd Test: Story So Far
England, batting first, posted a total of 334 on the board at The Gabba, getting all out early morning on Day 2 of the match.
Zak Crawley’s 76 at the top, Joe Root’s unbeaten 138, and a fighting 38 from Jofra Archer at the very end helped them reach this score.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc, once again, recorded a 5-wicket haul (6 wickets overall).
As of this writing, the hosts are 3 wickets down, but have crossed the 200-run mark, courtesy of a 72 from Jake Weatherald, and 65 from Marnus Labuschange.
