England’s hopes in the 2025/26 Ashes Series against Australia are alive and well, courtesy of one man: Their talisman, Joe Root. After a dismal display in Perth, the tourists headed to Brisbane without a single win at the Gabba since 1986, and it looked as though that miserable record would get even worse when Mitchell Starc dismissed both Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. At 5/2 and just 15 balls into the innings, Root came to the crease, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Yorkshireman is widely regarded as England’s finest ever batsman, and rightfully so. However, the one blemish on his stellar career was a miserable record in Australia without a single test century. In Brisbane, however, Root steadied the ship, putting on an epic 117-run stand with Zak Crawley to lift the tourists out of the mire. Then, just as they did in Perth, the wickets began to fall.
Root Keeps His Cool to Make History
Harry Brook once again gave away his wicket when he looked well-poised on 31, before captain Ben Stokes was shockingly run out for just 19. Jamie Smith was then dispatched for a duck, and he was quickly followed back to the changing room by Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, and Brydon Carse. Root, however, remained the one constant.
With all falling around him, the 34-year-old stood tall, playing as elegantly – and crucially, patiently – as ever. Stuck in the 90s for what seemed like an eternity, his moment finally came after almost 200 balls, gently nudging the ball to the fine leg boundary off Scott Boland to finally secure his maiden century in Australia at the 30th time of asking. The historic moment was met with huge roars from the legion of English fans at the Gabba, but more was still to come.
A wild tenth wicket stand would follow, with Root and tailender Jofra Archer bludgeoning the Aussies for 61 runs off just 44 balls to leave England 325-9 at stumps. The score is already England’s best in Australia since 2017 and their finest at the Gabba since they last won the Ashes down under in 2010/11. But despite the fightback, online betting sites still mark the tourists as unlikely to reclaim the famous urn.
The latest in-play odds at Bovada make England a huge 4/1 underdog to beat Australia this winter, with the hosts a 1/4 favorite. Root has put his side in a position to now win in Brisbane and break another jinx, their first win down under since 2011, and their first win at the Gabba in almost 40 years. But before this blistering 135 not out and maiden test match century, what was the Yorkshireman’s previous high score on Australian soil? Let’s take a look.
89 in Brisbane
While never managing a century until now, Brisbane has always looked like the most likely place where Root would reach three figures on Australian soil. England’s main man came close back in the opening test of the 2021/22 series. After a dismal first innings, the tourists trailed the Baggy Greens by a mighty 278 runs, and Root knew that he would have to deliver down under if he was to drag his side back into the test match.
After openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed were dismissed inside 20 overs, England sat at 61/2 when Root came to the crease, needing to score 217 runs just to make Australia bat again. As he always seems to do, though, the Yorkshire star – alongside the impressive Dawid Malan – took the fight to the opposition. Both Root and Malan looked well on course for centuries, putting on a 162-run third-wicket stand to at least make the scoreline look somewhat respectable.
However, as always seems to be the case in Australia, England collapsed. Malan was dismissed after a patient 82, heaping the pressure on Root to continue the charge. Unfortunately, however, he was dismissed just three overs later for 89, his highest score in Australia, but still not enough to give England a fighting chance. The tourists slid from 229/4 to 297 all out, losing by nine wickets and ultimately capitulating to another 4-0 away Ashes series drubbing.
85 in Adelaide
Back in 2013, Root was appearing in a foreign Ashes series for the first time ever, positioned as England’s great young hope at the tender age of just 23. Unfortunately for him, the series would go on to define his career in Australia. England were thumped in the opener in Brisbane, ramping up the pressure ahead of the second test in Adelaide. And while Root was up for the fight, his teammates sadly were not.
After being skittled for just 172 chasing Australia’s mighty 570 in the first innings, the chance of victory was never likely. When the Aussies added a quickfire 132 declared in their second innings, the tourists needed 530 to win, an unassailable-looking total. Still, Root gave it his all.
Arriving after just nine balls with England 1/1 following the dismissal of captain Alistair Cook, Root set about the task at hand. He put on a 111-run partnership with Kevin Pietersen, which allowed England fans to dream for a minute, crushing nine fours along the way. But when KP was dismissed for 53 with Ian Bell then quickly following him, the writing was on the wall. Root was gone next, dismissed for 85 off the bowling of Nathan Lyon, and England fell 2008 runs short of their target.
