Joe Root Celebrates Maiden Test Century in Australia with Family

Joe Root's remarkable achievement of scoring his first Test century in Australia was celebrated by his parents with a special dinner. Root reached this milestone during the second Test at the Gabba, marking his 40th Test century overall. His impressive innings of 138 not out not only helped England post a solid total but also set a record for the highest score in a day-night Test against Australia. Discover more about this memorable moment and the family's celebration in the full article.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 6, 2025, 02:21 IST

A Memorable Celebration for Joe Root

Brisbane [Australia], December 5: After achieving his first Test century on Australian soil, Joe Root's parents shared their celebratory experience, which included enjoying kebabs and a bottle of wine at their hotel following the remarkable feat during Day 1 of the second Test against Australia at the Gabba.

Root reached this significant milestone in 181 balls, marking his 40th Test century overall. It took him 30 innings to secure his first hundred in Australia, making him the second English player, after Maurice Leyland, to score a century on the opening day of a Test at the Gabba. He is also the eighth English batsman to achieve this at the venue.

In an interview with 7Cricket on Day 2 of the Test, Root's parents, Helen and Matt, expressed their pride. Matt mentioned that it was a momentous occasion for them. When asked about their conversation with Root, he revealed that they celebrated with kebabs and wine at the hotel that evening.

"I tend to feel more anxious when he first comes to bat. He has been dismissed more often between nought and 20 than in the 90s. So reaching 100 was a relief. It was a significant moment, and as they say, the monkey is off his back now in Australia, allowing him to concentrate on his batting," Matt Root shared with 7Cricket.

He added, "I believe it meant more to many others than it did to Joe. For him, it was just another day at work," as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Root's impressive innings of 138 runs not out off 206 balls, featuring 15 fours and a six, propelled England to a total of 334 in their first innings.

This score also set a record for the highest individual score against Australia in a day-night Test, surpassing Pakistan's Asad Shafiq's previous record of 137 runs at the Gabba in 2016.

In response, Australia ended the first session of Day 2 at 130/1, with opener Weatherald scoring 59 not out and Marnus Labuschagne contributing 27 runs.

Brief Scores: England 196/4 (Zak Crawley 76, Joe Root 135*, Mitchell Starc 6/71) vs Australia.