After 12 years and 13 days, Joe Root finally breaks century jinx on Aussie soil; England's ageless wonder lights up Gabba with landmark ton

Joe Root ended a long-standing drought on Australian soil by finally scoring his maiden Test century in Australia, achieving the milestone at the Gabba after 12 years and 13 days from his first Test outing in the country. The veteran England batter, long considered one of the modern greats, produced a masterful innings to break his century jinx against the Aussies. Root’s landmark ton lit up the Gabba and provided a major boost for England, showcasing his trademark composure, precision and shot-making. The breakthrough century not only underscored his class but also added a significant chapter to his storied Ashes career.


It felt poetic that Root’s breakthrough came at the Gabba, the same venue where he played his first Ashes Test in Australia back in November 2013. In that debut, he managed just two runs in the first innings, edging Mitchell Johnson to Steve Smith at third slip during a dramatic England collapse. Now, more than a decade later, he returned to the ground to finally conquer the one milestone that had eluded him on Australian soil.



England’s innings began poorly once again, and Root walked in with the scoreboard reading 2-5. Test cricket’s second-highest run-scorer held his ground and exhibited extreme patience and purpose as he chased the milestone. On a day when Australia made timely breakthroughs, Root remained immovable. His superb unbeaten 135 on the first day of the Pink-ball Test anchored the innings and reaffirmed his status as one of England’s greatest batters, delivering the long-awaited century on Australian soil with trademark grit and class.

Root glanced the 181st delivery off his pads, but the relief behind that shot reflected far more than a single moment. It carried the weight of 2,213 deliveries faced in Australia since his first appearance on an Ashes tour - and the memory of missing out at this very venue more than 12 years ago. With that stroke off Scott Boland, Root finally ended a long, frustrating wait, completing a milestone that had eluded him throughout his career on Australian soil.

At 34, Root has finally shed the unwanted record of never scoring a Test century in Australia. His landmark ton is his 40th in Test cricket, adding to an already remarkable tally that includes 66 fifties. Root now sits just one century behind Ricky Ponting’s 41, with only Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Jacques Kallis (45) standing further ahead, while Kumar Sangakkara (38) follows behind.

For context, Ponting himself needed 12 years and 15 innings to score a first Test hundred in India, finally doing so in 2008. Root has taken twice as many innings to achieve the equivalent milestone in Australia - a drought made harsher by the intense scrutiny he faces every time he tours Down Under.