Joe Root slams his maiden Test century in Australia: Stats
What's the story
The wait is over! England's Joe Root finally has a Test century Down Under. Root, who raced to his 40th Test hundred, has reached three figures for the first time on Australian soil. He unlocked the achievement on Day 1 of the 2nd Ashes Test, a day-night affair, at The Gabba, Brisbane. Root's ton took England past 250 after they elected to bat.
Milestone
Root makes history Down Under
Root, England's most successful batter across formats, has ticked another box. He was devoid of a Test century Down Under for 159 matches. The 291st innings of Root's career has finally made him attain the feat. Overall, Root raced to his fifth century in The Ashes, with four of them coming on English soil. His previous-highest Test score in Australia was 89 (Brisbane, 2021).
Century
40th Test ton for Root
Overall, Root completed his 40th century in Test cricket. He became only the fourth player to touch the 40-century mark in the format, joining Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), and Ricky Ponting (41). Root also has 66 half-centuries to his name in the format. Only one other Englishman has 30-plus Test tons - Alastair Cook (33).