The former Australian opening batter, Matthew Hayden, ahead of the Ashes 2025/26, reckoned that he would run naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) if Joe Root, the former England captain, didn’t end up scoring a century during the second Test at the Ashes 2025/26. Root finally got the monkey off his back.

At the Gabba, home of Hayden, Root remained unbeaten on 135 on day one of the ongoing contest as his century not only saved the visitors from a batting collapse but also made sure that Hayden didn’t fulfill one of the strangest vows ever taken.

See Also: Watch: Joe Root celebrates maiden 100 in Australia during Ashes 2025/26

“G’day Joe. Congratulations, mate, on a hundred here in Australia. Took you a while, and no one had more skin in the game than me, literally. I was backing you for a hundred in a good way. So mate, congratulations. Ten fifties and finally a hundred—you little ripper mate. Have a beauty and bloody enjoy it.” Hayden said to England cricket.

Watch: Matthew Hayden’s promise dodged as Joe Root scores maiden Test century in Australia

Root came to the crease early in the third over when Mitchell Starc sent back both the opening batter, Ben Duckett, and the number three batter, Ollie Pope. The southpaw got an outside edge to the hands of the slip fielder while Pope was bounced out as the ball hit the stumps. And that’s where Root got his chance.

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Negotiating a fierce Starc bowling early in his innings, Root stitched a 117-run stand for the second wicket with Zak Crawley that brought England back in the contest. Root didn’t get much support from the other end as England kept losing wickets under the light to bring the hosts back into the encounter.

Root, however, made sure that he would play the anchor’s role and built two more big partnerships- adding 54 runs with captain Ben Stokes and an undefeated 61 runs with Jofra Archer. Root’s innings so far include 15 boundaries and a six. England would hope Root to cross the 150-run mark and take the team over the 350 score by the end of their first innings.