Joe Root Scores First Ton On Australian Soil, Saves Matthew Hayden From Embarrassment After He Vowed To Walk Nude Around MCG For THIS Reason

England batter Joe Root finally notched up a hundred on Australian soil. The right-handed batter struck a century in the first innings of the pink-ball Test at Gabba, Brisbane. With this, Root has completed his 40th century in the format. Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden had earlier put his weight behind Root for scoring a century on the Australian soil on this tour. 

“I will walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t make a hundred this summer,” the former Aussie opener had declared. 

Root had come in to bat for England when the visitors were reeling at 5/2. He stitched a 117-run stand with Zak Crawley for the third wicket. While wickets kept tumbling around Root, he carried on with his form and reached the milestone. The England batter received praise from Hayden after the ton. 

“Good day, Joe. Congratulations mate on the hundred here in Australia. Took you a while, and there was no one that had more skin in the game than me, literally. I was backing you in for the hundred in a good way. So mate, congratulations 10, 50s and finally 100. You little ripper, mate. Have a beauty and bloody enjoy it,” Haydos said in a video posted by England Cricket on their official ‘X’ handle.

Meanwhile, fast bowler Mitchell Starc also etched his name in record books. Starc now has the most number of wickets in Tests for a left-handed pacer. He picked up a 10-wicket haul in the first match and then followed it up with 6 wickets in the first innings of the second match. 

Also Read: Mitchell Starc Shatters All-Time Test Record, Leaves Wasim Akram Behind In Elite List