Joe Root is now undisputably one of the greatest Test batsmen of his generation, sitting second on the all-time Test run charts for England with 40 centuries.
The 40th of those was arguably the most significant of them all, as he removed the final blemish on his glittering career by scoring a Test century in an away Ashes series.
Root had played 15 Tests on Australian soil going into the second test of the series in Brisbane, averaging a respectable but uncharacteristic 32.63 with nine fifties but no three-figure score.
It was a poor start for Root in Perth, going for a duck in the first innings before playing his part in England's second innings collapse - dismissed by Mitchell Starc for the second time in the match for just eight.
However, he got the monkey off his back with a fine century in Brisbane and is now the huge favourite to be England's top run scorer in the 2025/26 Ashes.
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Joe Root's Australia record
The difference between Joe Root's overall career average and his Australian average has often attributed to the hard, bouncy Australian pitches and the relentless attack from the home bowlers.
Former Australian opener David Warner previously made a cheeky dig at the English star's record. Root himself has admitted that he may have "wanted it way too much" in previous tours.
The one technical concern is that Root's favoured shot often sees him dab down to third man but the bouncier surfaces in Australia can often lead to the shot being mis-timed or played too high on the bat, thus leading to him being caught in the gully region quite often.
Root came into this series in sensational form with three centuries against India this summer, which he built upon to score the elusive century in Brisbane.
(Getty)
Matthew Hayden Joe Root century
The faith in Root's ability to finally break his duck was so strong that Australian legend Matthew Hayden made a stunning public vow.
Hayden promised he would "walk nude around the MCG if Joe Root fails to score a Test century" in the series. This confidence from the opposition camp underscored the general feeling that the greatest technical batsman of his generation was always likely to conquer his final frontier.
Joe Root century breakdown Ashes by Ashes
| How many Test centuries Root had before each away Ashes series | |
|---|---|
| Before 2013/14 | 2 |
| Before 2017/18 | 13 |
| Before 2021/22 | 23 |
| Before 2025/26 | 39 |
The leading run scorers in Test cricket history
In the next few years, Root will be looking to try and topple Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the all-time run scorers in Test cricket. It could well, should he continue at his current pace, he breaks the great Tendulkar's record on a tour of India in the early months of 2028.
| Player | Country | Average | Centuries | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 53.78 | 51 | 15,921 |
| Joe Root | England | 51.32 | 40 | 13,704 |
Joe Root centuries against Australia
Joe Root has hit multiple centuries against Australia at home in Test cricket, with his most recent being a spectacular unbeaten knock in the 1st Test of the 2023 series at Edgbaston a couple of years ago.
| Series | Match | Venue | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2nd Test | London (Lord's) | 180 |
| 2015 | 1st Test | Cardiff | 134 |
| 2015 | 4th Test | Nottingham | 130 |
| 2023 | 1st Test | Birmingham | 118* |
| 2025 | 2nd Test | Brisbane | 135* |
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