The modern-day Test great, England’s Joe Root, proved why he is rated so highly by his countrymen and opposition alike as, on Thursday, playing the second Test of the Ashes 2025-26 in Brisbane, he claimed the record that has eluded him for a long time — scoring a Test hundred on Australian soil.
Root came out to bat when England were struggling at 5 for 2, and despite his failure in the first Test at Perth, he put his class and composure on display to score his maiden Test hundred in Australia. Root took 181 balls to complete his century and has led England to a fighting position in the match. Before this, Root’s best score in Australia was 89 at the very same venue back in 2021.
Root keeps Hayden’s word
Before the start of the Ashes 2025-26 season, former Aussie opener Matthew Hayden, putting his faith in the English batter’s abilities, said he would run around the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) naked if Root failed to score a ton in Australia this summer. Hayden’s daughter also urged Root to score a hundred so that her father would not get embarrassed in front of his home crowd. Root, who had acknowledged the request, did not disappoint Hayden and his daughter, scoring his maiden Test ton on Australian soil in Brisbane.
Just one ton behind Ponting now
Root’s first century on Australian soil is also his 40th overall Test century, which means he is now just one behind former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting, who has the most Test tons (41). However, Root still has a long way to go to reach the top two spots, as South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis, with 45 Test tons, is in second place, while Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar leads the table with 51 Test centuries.
Players with the most centuries in Test cricket:
| Player | Mat | Inns | Runs | HS | 100s | 50s |
| SR Tendulkar (IND) | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 248* | 51 | 68 |
| JH Kallis (SA/ICC) | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 224 | 45 | 58 |
| RT Ponting (AUS) | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 257 | 41 | 62 |
| JE Root (ENG) | 160 | 291 | 13647 | 262 | 40 | 67 |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 319 | 38 | 52 |
| SPD Smith (AUS) | 121 | 214 | 10496 | 239 | 36 | 43 |
| R Dravid (IND) | 164 | 286 | 13288 | 270 | 36 | 63 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 118 | 213 | 10099 | 313 | 34 | 33 |
| SM Gavaskar (IND) | 125 | 214 | 10122 | 236* | 34 | 45 |
| BC Lara (WI/ICC) | 131 | 232 | 11953 | 400* | 34 | 48 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 374 | 34 | 50 |
| KS Williamson (NZ) | 106 | 188 | 9337 | 251 | 33 | 38 |
| AN Cook (ENG) | 161 | 291 | 12472 | 294 | 33 | 57 |
| SR Waugh (AUS) | 168 | 260 | 10927 | 200 | 32 | 50 |
| ML Hayden (AUS) | 103 | 184 | 8625 | 380 | 30 | 29 |
| V Kohli (IND) | 123 | 210 | 9230 | 254* | 30 | 31 |