Root Breaks Drought in Style While Hayden Shares Relieved Reaction

Joe Root walked off The Gabba with an expression that mixed relief with quiet pride. For years, the conversation around him in Australia carried the same thread. Brilliant player, but no Test hundred on Australian soil. On Thursday, that label evaporated in front of a crowd that shifted from murmurs to loud appreciation as the scoreboard ticked past three figures.

Root entered this Ashes series with staggering numbers elsewhere, yet a strangely stubborn drought here. He had 892 runs across previous visits, plenty of starts, plenty of classy strokes, but not a single innings that crossed the milestone. That stat lived longer than anyone expected.

Hayden’s Bold Prediction Resurfaces

A month ago, Matthew Hayden had thrown himself into the debate in his own unmistakable way. During the All Over Bar The Cricket podcast, he joked that he would “walk n*de around the MCG” if Root failed to get a hundred this summer. It sounded casual, even playful, but it captured the belief he had in one of England’s finest.

Hayden’s confidence did not come from thin air. Root’s form since 2022 has been outrageous. Fifteen centuries. A Test average touching the mid-60s. A calmness at the crease that looked unshakable. You could feel the anticipation building the moment he took guard on Thursday morning.

The Innings That Finally Landed

Root started cautiously, leaving more than he chased, but once he settled, the strokes flowed with a freedom that had the visiting fans on their feet. When he leaned into a cover drive that skimmed through the field, a gasp rippled around the venue. That one moment flipped everything, and the narrative shifted.

He finished unbeaten on 135 from 202 balls, peppering the boundary with 15 fours and a lofted six that hung in the air long enough to spark a roar before it dropped safely into the stands. England closed the day at 325 for 9, a total that looked far stronger than the early wobble suggested.

You could see the disappointment written across Australian faces when the chance for his wicket slipped, yet there was also admiration. Root’s discipline felt like a statement, and every time he nudged the ball into space, it chipped away at his old reputation.

Hayden Responds with Relief and a Laugh

Minutes after the milestone, England Cricket posted the clip of Hayden reacting to Root’s achievement. The former opener looked genuinely relieved, almost amused, as if he knew he had been riding a dangerous promise.

“Good day, Joe. Congratulations mate on the hundred here in Australia,” he said, wearing a grin that told its own story. “Took you a while, and there was no one that had more skin in the game than me, literally.”

He paused, almost chuckling at the memory of his own wager, then continued. “I was backing you in for the hundred in a good way. So mate, congratulations. Ten fifties and finally a hundred. You little ripper. Enjoy it.”

The message felt raw, unfiltered, and perfectly timed. It highlighted not only Root’s achievement but also the quirky side stories that make the Ashes what it is.

This came in such poetic fashion, but that’s cricket. One innings, one moment, and the whole season looks different. For Root, this century closes a chapter that has followed him for a decade. For Hayden, it means he can stroll around the MCG fully clothed, much to everyone’s relief.

What comes next in this series is anyone’s guess, but Root has already delivered the headline he owed himself.