The century of Joe Root in the ongoing 2nd Test of the Ashes 2025-26 caused some out-of-the-field hilarious moments because of a comment of Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden. The former cricketer had jokingly promised that he would run nude in Melbourne if Root failed to score a hundred in the ongoing Ashes series. This is not going to happen, as the England batter smashed a century at The Gabba.

Now, Grace Hayden, daughter of Matthew Hayden, with a sense of humour, shared a hilarious story on her Instagram account. She thanked the almighty, as her father would not have to run naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Grace thanked Joe Root for "saving all our eyes". "Root, thank you. You've saved all our eyes," she wrote in her Instagram story shortly after Root reached the milestone. The screenshot of the Instagram story quickly went viral across social media platforms, thanks to her huge fan following.

England was struggling earlier in the ongoing match, which is a pink ball test, because of early strikes from Mitchell Starc. Root stepped up on a big occasion and rescued his team from a possible batting collapse. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten for 138 off 206 with fifteen boundaries and one over boundary. With the help of Root's hundred-plus-run knock, England registered 334 runs in their first innings of the day-night Test.

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Hilarious reply as Joe Root scored century in the 2nd Test of The Ashes

For Australia, Mitchell Starc took a total of 6 wickets in his 20-over spell in the first phase of the game. After the century of Root, Matthew Hayden took some moments to celebrate the occasion out of the commentary box.

A viral video, posted by Channel 7, showed Hayden broke into an enthusiastic dance outside the commentary box as soon as the England batter completed his century.

Let's cross LIVE to Matthew Hayden after Joe Root's century...

😂 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/4Wnnp5vsMN

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 4, 2025

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.

The former left-handed opening batter of the Australian side, Matthew Hayden, in a hilarious interaction with Sky Sports Cricket, has expressed his concern about Joe Root scoring a century by the end of the Ashes 2025/26. But the former England captain had a poor outing during the opening game at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

In that game, Root was dismissed for zero as he got an outside edge into the hands of the slip region against Mitchell Starc before getting the ball on to the stumps in the second innings. But the England batter would still have eight more innings to get the monkey off his back in what could turn out to be his last Australia trip.

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“I’m concerned for multiple reasons. The last thing I want to do at 54 is spend the rest of my life in jail. But I tell you. And on a serious note, I probably didn’t see a lot of convincing evidence from Joe Root. You know, I know that he loves to own that fifth and sixth stump channel and Australia will.” Hayden expressed on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch: Matthew Hayden concerned about his prediction of Joe Root's century in Ashes 2025/26

Hayden claimed that Root didn’t look good with his technique in the last fixture, and the pressure would only increase from hereon, going deep into the series. Root wasn’t happy either with what he did with the bat in that Western Test.

Is Matthew Hayden concerned he might have to run naked across the MCG if Joe Root gets a century?! 😅🏃 pic.twitter.com/xbnl7KALGV

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) December 2, 2025

“They won’t need to go anywhere else other than that, after what I saw. And you know those little dabs, and you know the gather will be no different as well, especially under lights and pink ball. So it’s going to be a big challenge for Joe Root, and it’s even a bigger challenge for me.” Hayden shed light in that video.

“It’s pretty disappointing in terms of the numbers. First innings, I thought it was a good ball. It’s one of those things you can get early on. You’ve got to try and find a way to get through that phase when it’s tricky at the start. And then in the second innings, I thought my tempo was really good, made one mistake.” Joe Root claimed.

Former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie humorously mocked his former teammate Matthew Hayden over a bold claim made ahead of the Ashes. Hayden had jokingly stated that he would walk naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) if England’s Joe Root failed to score a century in the series.

Gillespie, speaking on the ‘All Over Bar the Cricket’ podcast, didn’t miss the opportunity to tease Hayden for his unusual pledge. The two shared a laugh over the unusual bet, with Gillespie playfully questioning Hayden’s seriousness and commitment to the promise. Fans also enjoyed the lighthearted banter, which showcased the camaraderie between the former Australian cricketers.

The exchange has since gone viral on social media, with cricket enthusiasts sharing clips and memes. While the Ashes contest between Australia and England promises intense cricketing action, this humorous moment added a fun, human touch to the pre-series hype, reminding fans of the lighter side of the sport.

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Jason Gillespie Humorously Mocked His Former Teammate:

Jason Gillespie humorously reacted to Matthew Hayden’s bold claim, joking that nobody would want to see him naked. He also recalled Hayden making a similar comment when Gillespie scored a double century in a Test against Bangladesh, highlighting their playful camaraderie off the field.

He said, “ He's got form here. He said the same thing when I made my double hundred in Bangladesh. I was on 70 or 80, and he said if you get a hundred or a double hundred, I'll do a nude lap. I said that's all good mate.”

He further said, “ But you've got to remember that we are in a Muslim country, so not sure that's going to work. To be fair Haydos, no one wants to see you without clothes, mate. I'm sorry. No one needs to see that.”

In the 2006 second Test at Chattogram, Jason Gillespie, sent in as a nightwatchman at number three, played a remarkable innings, scoring an unbeaten 201 off 425 balls with 26 fours and two sixes, helping Australia secure a dominant victory by an innings and 80 runs.

Jason Gillespie Supports Hayden’s Prediction of Root Century:

Joe Root, despite his reputation as one of the finest Test batters, is still searching for his first century on Australian soil. In 27 innings across Ashes tours, Root has managed 892 runs at an average of 35.68, including nine fifties but no three-figure score.

With the Ashes 2025–26 approaching, Matthew Hayden expressed confidence that Root will finally break the drought and score a hundred in Australia. Former pacer Jason Gillespie echoed Hayden’s views, backing the English veteran to overcome past struggles and deliver a landmark innings in the upcoming series. Both believe this could be Root’s defining Ashes moment.

He added, “ I absolutely agree with Matty Hayden. I think he will get a hundred on this tour. Joe is too good a player. It is a quirky little stat that he hasn't scored a hundred in Australia. I certainly think that will change this tour. He finds a way to keep improving.”

The former Australian opening batter, Matthew Hayden, has made a hilarious prediction on the former England batter, Joe Root, ahead of the Ashes 2025/26 against Australia down under. The opening game of the series will take place at the Optus Stadium in Perth on November 21, as the right-handed batter will be under pressure, having not celebrated a century down under.

Joe Root is currently the second leading run-getter in the longest format with 13543 runs in 288 innings at an average of 51.29 and a strike rate of 57.49, with the help of 66 half-centuries and 39 centuries at the best score of 262 runs. However, in Australia, he has drilled only 892 runs in 14 games at an average of 35.68 with nine fifties.

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“I will walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t make a hundred his summer.” Hayden reckoned during a recent interaction on the ‘All over Bar The Cricket’ YouTube channel, as his daughter and presenter, Grace Hayden, requested the Yorkshire batter to notch up a red-ball century.

Matthew Hayden makes hilarious prediction on Joe Root ahead of Ashes 2025/26

In his overall record against Australia, Root has clubbed 2428 runs in the 34 red-ball encounters at an average of 40.46, scoring four centuries and 17 half-centuries. Apart from that, he has recorded over 3300 runs in 64 innings against India in Tests at an average of nearly 60 and a strike rate of 55, thanks to 13 centuries and 12 half-centuries.

Root has found the bowling of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood challenging. But Cummins is currently recovering from a back injury, and he could get ruled out for the first three encounters of the series. This could be a good chance for the batter, who was in excellent touch during the home red-ball series against India.

For him and a few veterans, it could be the last Ashes trip. England haven’t won a single Test, let alone a series, against Australia down under since earning the urn in 2010/11 under Andrew Strauss’ captaincy. It will be high time for them to turn the tables, and Root will be their key man with the bat.

Gautam Gambhir silenced his critics by leading a young and relatively inexperienced Indian side to an impressive 2-2 draw in the five-match Test series against England.

Before the tour, many doubted India’s chances, especially with England boasting a strong squad and the advantage of familiar home conditions. Expectations were low, but the team showed remarkable grit and determination throughout the series.

Shubman Gill and his teammates displayed fearless cricket, matching England’s intensity at every stage. The series reached its peak in the final Test at The Oval, where India won by just six runs, leveling the series and sending a powerful message to their opponents.

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Mathew Hyden Talked About Gautam Gambhir’s Behaviour:

Before the fifth Test, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with Oval curator Lee Fortis during a practice session. The conflict started when Fortis asked the Indian coaches to keep 2.5 metres away from the main pitch square, despite them wearing appropriate footwear like joggers or rubber-spiked shoes.

This directive did not sit well with the Indian camp, leading to visible frustration. Gambhir, unable to hold back his emotions, confronted the curator and voiced his displeasure over the matter. Gambhir said, “ You don't tell any of us what we need to do... you have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond.”

Experienced Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden shared his own experiences dealing with pitch curators and supported Gautam Gambhir’s perspective. Hayden noted that while Gambhir’s frustration was understandable, he could have managed the situation more calmly by using more thoughtful language during the disagreement.

Hayden said, “ I used to sit in the middle and meditate. And, often there would not be a person that would not come up to me and tell me to move. They (curators) can get pretty protective around the surface. This is a typical case in England. It is a bit of a flex, here we are, final Test match, this is my venue, and they are going to try and make it difficult on Gautam Gambhir. But I think he's got every right to tone it down. He could have used better language. But the reality is, his team is trying to train ahead of the most important Test match.”

On the same day, England’s star batter Joe Root and stand-in captain Ollie Pope were seen shadow batting on the match pitch.

Former Australian all-rounder Greg Blewett, discussing the incident, called it ridiculous. He agreed with Matthew Hayden that while Gambhir’s frustration was understandable, he could have handled the situation with more restraint.

He said, “ I agree. Even now, even as a commentator, you get near the pitch and everyone is saying you can't get anywhere near it and you're like I haven't got spikes on. It is quite ridiculous. I get the frustration. But I agree that the language that he used wasn't great. If he reflects, he could have probably handled it a little better.”

The former West Indies captain, Brian Lara, has made a shocking revelation on how breaking the world record twice in his career took a lot out of him and gave him several stress periods. During his recent interaction on ‘The Overlap cricket,’ the southpaw spoke on the night when Matthew Hayden broke his record of 375

‘I wasn’t annoyed. I was asleep in Jamaica. And my agent called me, and he was in London. He said you need to have a number for you to call. I said why because I think he did a lot on that day. So, he might have gone to sleep at 1:00 something, and then he scored a couple of hundreds on that day.’ Lara talked on the show.

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Hayden smashed 380 runs at the WACA against Zimbabwe in 2003, which came nine years after Lara built the record of the highest individual Test score of 375 against England at St John's. Before that, the previous highest score by an individual batter was unbeaten 365 runs by Garry Sobers in 1958 against Pakistan at the Sabina Park.

Watch: Brian Lara reveals how breaking records put stress on him

Lara looked back at the night when he called Hayden and congratulated him on the record. ‘So, he had a number to call the Perth dressing room. But I said Why? He said that someone broke your record. I called the dressing room, and it was very noisy. I went to Matthew and congratulated him. But funny enough, I felt that for those 10 years, I had a lot of stress because of those two records.’

"The records caused me stress" 😰

Brian Lara on the pressure of being cricket’s record-breaker 📚 pic.twitter.com/CbLnqT596S

— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) July 15, 2025

‘And one of my main things was actually to be a good captain and not to have strangled myself with the double world record. I wasn’t perturbed and didn’t worry much about it, but here came England 10 years later.’ The 56-year-old added during the same session.

However, Hayden’s 380 didn’t last long. Just six months later in 2004, at the same ground, St John’s Park, Lara became the first and the only batter as of now to celebrate 400 runs individually. That 400* is still the highest score by a batter in the longest format, coincidentally, along with the ground, it also came against England. The only difference was the opposition captains.

Wiaan Mulder updated the pages of history books with his stunning 367* run knock. He took only 297 balls to complete his triple ton, maintaining a strike rate of over 100, which was not a usual scenario in a Test match even in the modern era. Despite scoring a triple hundred with a quick pace, the temporary skipper of South Africa was not able to break the record of former India international Virendra Sehwag. In the list of fastest players to score triple tons, Sehwag is still maintaining the top spot of the chart. 

Top 5 players to score the fastest 300 in Tests:

Virendra Sehwag

Back in 2008, when South Africa faced India in Chennai for a Test match, Virendra Sehwag scored the fastest 300 in the history of Test cricket. In 278 balls, the opener set a milestone that is yet to be broken. During this innings, the attacking batsman smashed 42 boundaries and five 6s to bag a 319-run innings before losing his wicket to Makhaya Ntini. The high-scoring match ended in a draw.

Wiaan Mulder

Wiaan Mulder stood tall and delivered the best innings of his career when Temba Bavuma was absent from the away series against Zimbabwe. Mulder needed only 297 balls to accomplish a 300 as a South African batsman, only after the formal international Hashim Amla. Mulder remained unbeaten for 367 off 334 before he decided to declare the innings. During his batting, the batter found the ropes 49 times for boundaries and hoisted the red ball for 4 maximums. 

Read More: Wiaan Mulder slams triple ton, joins Hashim Amla in South Africa’s elite Test records

Harry Brook

During a Test match against England in Multan in 2024, Pakistan faced the wrath of Harry Brook. The middle-order batter registered his 300 playing only 310 runs and remained not out for 317. England won the match by an innings and 47 runs as they got 823/7d on the scoreboard.

Matthew Hayden

One of the most fierce openers in the history of cricket, Matthew Hayden's 380-run innings was a historic mark. The former Australia international took 362 balls to etch his 300. The match was against Zimbabwe in 2003. Australia won the game by an inning and 175 runs. Hayden hammered thirty-eight 4s and eleven 6s during his innings. 

Virendra Sehwag

Virendra Sehwag once again makes an entry in the list. In 2004 against the archrivals Pakistan, the former right-handed opener took the home team in Multan for an adventurous ride. In 364 deliveries, Sehwag delivered another 300 of his career and helped India to grab a victory over Pakistan by an innings and 52 runs. He struck the ball 39 times for 4 and six times for 6. 

The countdown has started for the high-voltage England vs. India 5-match Test series starting on Friday (June 20). India, without the services of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin, will face the host under newly appointed captain Shubman Gill.

Last year, the Indian team in the Whites was bamboozled by New Zealand and Australia and knocked India out of the equation for the World Test Championship's final (WTC Final 2025). India, with a new captain and new hopes, is set to start their new chapter in Leeds.

Ahead of the match, many cricket experts put England ahead of the traveling team as the favorite to win the series. But former Australia international and now cricket expert Matthew Hayden shared his thoughts in different ways. In Hayden's opinion, India will have a brilliant opportunity to defeat England, the host team, because they have multiple injury concerns, and he did not want to rate the current English bowling line-up highly.

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Hayden has trust on Indian batting line-up

"I don't think England bowlers are that good; they have got a number of injuries and a number of retirees as well. That will be the challenge. The northern Test matches, when it's zipping around, will be key. Win that one, and it could well be a series that goes India's way," Hayden said on Jio Hotstar. 

Even before the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, England, they will have to keep an eye on their multiple bowlers. Speed stars like Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, and Gus Atkinson are not part of the 1st match starting on June 20. England have picked Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Jamie Overton as the five pacers in the squad for the Headingley Test.

South Africa are edging closer to creating history in the ongoing World Test Championship Final 2025 (WTC). With only 69 runs remaining in the bank and eight wickets to go, South Africa emerge as the strong favorites to clinch their maiden ICC title since 1998. A fighting partnership between Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma has turned the tables on Australia, putting the Southern African nation on the cusp of a historic cricketing moment. 

South Africa's resounding progress in the WTC final match has left many Australian cricket experts alarmed. Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden went hard on Pat Cummins, calling him out for being way too defensive in his approach. After concluding their second innings on a high, Australia had mounted a reasonable target of 281 on the board. Much to their delight, the Aussie quicks, including Mitch Starc, made an ideal start by removing Rickelton and Mulder in quick succession to give Australia a definite advantage. 

But all that advantage was lost in an instant once they were met with fierce resistance from Bavuma and Markram. Australia had South Africa reeling but failed to make further breakthroughs, allowing them to conclude day three on a high with all eight wickets intact.

See also: Top 5 wicket takers for South Africa in Test cricket ft Kagiso Rabada

Haydos blasts the Australian skipper to let South Africa off the hook

As quoted by Hindustan Times, Hayden slammed Cummins for being too defensive against Bavuma, who had just walked out to bat after Mulder's dismissal. After bundling them out cheaply for 138 in the first innings, Cummins was expected to adopt a very aggressive approach. But the absence of his aggressive approach baffled the Aussie great. 

He further highlighted the lack of protection in the catching cover regions and stressed that the field placement should have been more attacking, which would have helped them cut down unnecessary singles.

“You know, this defensive effort here from Australia, it was all about how they were going to take wickets and how they were going to do that early. You know, when they got through to Mulder, they got through Rickelton, and they had to put at that point pressure on Bavuma. They had to put those catching cover areas, had to be less defensive, more attacking. Can you imagine if those first couple of balls had been chipped up? South Africa now it's three down. Australia got control of the match. So for me, that was a trick," 

The 2023 defending champions are on the verge of a catastrophic defeat in the WTC summit clash. Although the job is yet to be fully finished, and given South Africa's all-time reputation of "chokers", we cannot say for sure whether they are out of the woods. The Aussies, who have proven their tactical brilliance in the knockout matches time and again, can't be taken lightly as they will look to leave no stone unturned to retain their crown at all costs.