Joe Root Celebrates Historic Century with Family at the Gabba

Joe Root achieved a significant milestone by scoring his first Test century in Australia during the second Test at the Gabba. Celebrated by his parents with kebabs and wine, Root's performance not only marked his 40th Test hundred but also set a record for the highest score in a day-night Test against Australia. As England posted a solid total, Australia's response began strongly. Read on for more details about this memorable match.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 5, 2025, 15:28 IST

Root Achieves Milestone in Australia

Joe Root's parents shared that they enjoyed "kebabs and a bottle of wine" at their hotel after the England star scored his first Test century on Australian soil during the opening day of the second Test against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.

A Historic Achievement for Root

On Day 1 of the second Test, Root reached his milestone century in 181 balls, marking his 40th Test hundred overall. It took him 30 innings to achieve this feat in Australia. He became the second English player, following Maurice Leyland, to score a century on the first day of a Test match at the Gabba, and he is now the eighth English batsman to achieve a Test century at this venue.

A Memorable Celebration for the Roots

During an interview with 7Cricket on Day 2, Root's parents, Helen and Matt Root, expressed their pride in their son's accomplishment. Matt mentioned that it was a significant moment for them. When asked about their conversation with Joe, he revealed they celebrated with a kebab and wine at their hotel. "I always feel a bit more anxious when he first comes in. He has been dismissed more often between nought and 20 than in the 90s. So reaching 100 was a relief. It’s a special moment, and now he can focus on his batting without the pressure of not scoring in Australia," Matt shared with 7Cricket.

"For Joe, it was just another day at work, but it meant a lot to many others," he added, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.

Record-Setting Performance

Root's impressive innings of 138 not out off 206 balls, featuring 15 fours and one six, helped England post a total of 334 in their first innings. This score is also the highest individual tally against Australia in a day-night Test match, surpassing the previous record of 137 runs set by Pakistan's Asad Shafiq in 2016 at the same venue.

Australia's Reply

In their response, Australia ended the first session of Day 2 at 130 for 1 in 21 overs, with opener Weatherald scoring 59 not out and Marnus Labuschagne contributing 27 runs.

Match Summary

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