Australia v England | Second Ashes Test | Day One
Twelve years, 13 days and exactly 1,000 runs on from his first Test outing in Australia, the seemingly ageless Joe Root at last conquered his final run-scoring frontier.
Throughout an opening day where Australia seemed to make the right inroads at the right times until a disastrous final 40 minutes, Root stood tall for England, carving out a superb unbeaten 135 that will cement his legacy as one of the finest batters his country has produced.
It was fitting that it happened at the Gabba, where Root played his maiden Ashes Test in this country way back in November 2013. He made two in the first innings of that match, edging Mitchell Johnson through to Steve Smith at third slip amid a dramatic England collapse.
Ironically, history might have repeated itself in the chaotic initial throes of this second NRMA Insurance Ashes Test, when Root nicked the third ball he faced (from another left-armed Mitchell, this one named Starc) and a desperate Smith dove to his left to almost pull off a stunning catch.
As it was, the ball flew away for four and Root was left to carry on. It was the kind of half chance he was not granted on that maiden tour back in 2013-14, when he was dropped for the fifth Test for the only time in his career.
“That was a big learning curve for me,” he once told cricket.com.au. “Those are the moments where you learn a little bit about yourself, and I really wanted it – I really wanted to get better.”
Having come to the crease at 2-5, Test cricket’s second-highest all-time run-scorer ditched the Bazball playbook and patiently applied himself to the mission he has been waiting his entire career to complete.
Root relief! Full highlights of Joe’s first Test ton in Australia
“It was doing plenty when he first came in,” said his batting partner Zac Crawley. “He was so calm and he was so clear as well about how he wanted to go about it.”
During the lead-up to this Test, amid five days of training in Brisbane, the England batting group had spoken about its collective approach. Crawley said they had zeroed in on “recognising certain situations of the game, and (knowing) when to put your foot down and maybe when to rein it in a bit.”
Root is a past master of situational awareness and he showcased that today. His strike rate fluctuated with the ebbs and flows of the game, dropping to around 50 at one point and then climbing to 66.83 by stumps as he and Jofra Archer cashed in on a soft ball and some wayward Australian bowling. He left judiciously, concentrated on scoring from drives quite directly down the ground, and could not be drawn into flashing hard away from his body. His focus never seemed to waver.
“As an England player, (Australia) is the one place in the world where you want to have that bumper series – that massive aggregate of runs under your belt at the end of it, and that little urn next to you as well,” he said in that cricket.com.au interview. “That’s the dream, and one thing I’ve probably been guilty of in the past is trying too hard, and wanting it too much here.”
Crawley said Root’s elusive hundred had not been discussed within the team, though it was clear they understood its gravity. How could they not? An all-time great with one glaring omission from an otherwise impeccable CV? In the end, it only added to a performance that, given the match situation and Australia’s lead in the series, must rank among his finest.
“We were chuffed for him,” Crawley said. “We were nervous for him for a long while before (he got there). He’s never mentioned it once … but I would be amazed if it wasn’t in his head, for sure.
“The fact that he could put that out (of his mind) and score the hundred today just shows what a class act he is, and also how (mentally) tough he is. Everyone sees the talent, but no-one sees the inner steel he’s got as well.
“It’s a phenomenal knock. It has to be right up there (with his best). If you put everything into consideration, it’ll be one of his best.”
Asked how Root had reacted in the changerooms immediately afterward, Crawley smiled.
“He’s like his usual self – so humble,” he said. “He’s not trying to make too much of a deal of it, but I’m sure inside he’s pretty delighted.”
2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
First Test: Australia won by eight wickets
Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT
Australia squad (second Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood
