Joe Root hailed for his ‘inner steel’ after ‘phenomenal’ Ashes century

4 Dec 2025 • 10:36 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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  • Joe Root scored his first Test century on Australian soil, achieving an unbeaten 135 in the day-night second Ashes Test at the Gabba on Thursday.
  • This milestone marked his 40th Test century overall and ended a 13-year wait across 15 appearances without a hundred in Australia.
  • Root's innings was crucial, helping England recover from a precarious position of 5-2 to reach 325-9 by the end of the day.
  • Teammate Zak Crawley branded Root’s ton a “phenomenal knock”, and praised the centurion’s “humble” nature and “inner steel”.
  • Crawley also made a significant comeback, scoring 76 after recording two ducks in the previous Test.

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