Joe Root
Joe Root Saves Hayden from ‘Nude Walk Dare’ with Ashes Century (Credits :"X")

Overview:

In September, Hayden set a high-stakes dare for himself, promising to walk naked if Root failed to score a century in Australia during the series.

Joe Root broke his long century drought in Australia. The world’s top-ranked Test batter finally reached triple figures during the third session on Day 1 of the second Test at the Gabba, marking the end of a 15-match wait for a century in Australia since 2013. Root, on his fourth Ashes tour, previously managed a highest score of 89 Down Under. After scoring a duck and just 8 in the opening Test at Perth, where England lost by eight wickets, this knock came as a relief.

While Joe Root was clearly relieved, Matthew Hayden is also a happy man. In September, Hayden set a high-stakes dare for himself, promising to walk naked if Root failed to score a century in Australia during the series. “If he doesn’t score a century this summer, I’ll walk nude around the MCG,” he said on the All Over Bar the Cricket podcast.

Reacting to the comment, Hayden’s daughter Grace, a cricket commentator herself, said, “Come on, Joe Root, please score a hundred.”

Root has definitely saved Hayden. “Well done, mate. No one had more on the line than I did, literally. I was rooting for you to score a hundred, in the best way possible,” Hayden said.

Former England captain Alastair Cook took a playful swipe at Australia after the century. “Even the Australians have to admit he’s a great now,” Cook remarked on TNT Sports.

Root was on 88 not out as the players took drinks in the middle of the last session. He moved into the 90s for the first time in Australia with a boundary off Brendan Doggett, then hit another to reach 96.

As Root neared his century, Will Jacks, who was on 19, played a reckless shot against Mitchell Starc and was dismissed, bringing an end to their 40-run partnership. England were 251-7.

Root brought up his century with a boundary on Scott Boland‘s delivery. He kissed the badge on his helmet and raised his bat to celebrate the milestone.

V M Suriya Narayanan is a passionate cricket writer who has been following the game since 2007. With a background in Civil Engineering (B.E.), he blends analytical thinking with a deep understanding of...