Closest Joe Root Has Come to a Maiden Century in Australia

Despite being one of the most prolific and stylish batters in the modern era, Joe Root has yet to score a long-coveted century on Australian soil. The Yorkshire man has racked up plenty on home turf, including a blistering 180 in just his second Ashes Test match back in 2013. However, 12 years on from that mesmerizing performance at Lord’s, the former skipper remains without a maiden hundred in the Land Down Under.

If England are to win the Ashes on enemy territory this year for the first time since 2011, they will need Root to be on the form of his life. Since that last triumph, the English have floundered in Australia, losing 13 of the 15 tests they have played, which has prompted gambling sites to install them as a huge underdog for this winter’s showdown. The latest odds from the popular Bovada gambling site currently price the tourists as a +265 outsider, with the hosts a -175 betting favorite.

If England are to upset the odds, Root will almost certainly need to hit his first-ever century on Australian soil. He has come close in the past – as these four knocks will prove – but ultimately, not close enough.

89 in 2021/22 Series Opener

The most recent and perhaps most heart-wrenching near-miss came during the opening Test of the 2021/22 Ashes series at the Gabba. England found themselves in a dire position after being bowled out for a paltry 147 in the first innings, leaving them a whopping 278 behind Australia. Root was out for a duck off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood in that dismal display, and the pressure was on for him to deliver in the second innings and lead the fightback.

Ultimately, that’s what he, alongside Dawid Malan, did. From the start, the then-captain looked assured, his footwork crisp, and his shot selection refined. The Brisbane pitch was offering uneven bounce, but the Yorkshireman handled the challenges with aplomb. His trademark fluency returned as he cut, drove, and nudged his way to a score that not only anchored England’s innings but also gave them a glimmer of hope.

Root and Malan put on a 162-run third-wicket stand, but once the latter’s wicket was taken for 82, it all fell apart. Root was dismissed not long after by Cameron Green for 89, agonizingly short of a century. He had already set a record for the most Test runs scored by an Englishman in a calendar year, but he would have traded that for a Test match victory had anyone offered it to him. Instead, England fell apart.

229/4 at the point of Root’s dismissal, the English capitulated. Ultimately, they were bowled out for 297, leaving Australia needing just 19 to win. The hosts duly scored them for the loss of just one wicket, securing a dominant nine-wicket victory and setting the tone for yet another one-sided series.

87 in his Second Away Ashes Test

Back in 2013, Root was a young 22-year-old prodigy expected to lead English cricket into the future. He had just starred in the 3-0 victory on home turf six months prior, and he was expected to do the same in the Land Down Under. England had genuine hopes of retaining the urn on Australian soil for the second straight series, but those hopes were torpedoed in the opening test in Brisbane courtesy of a thumping 381-run defeat.

In the second test, Root attempted to lead the fight back. Aiming to counter an Australian squad brimming with confidence courtesy of the sensational Mitchell Johnson, Root stood tall in the face of adversity with a defiant 87 in the second innings. By that point, though, England were already in trouble.

After being bowled out for just 172 chasing Australia’s 570, the hosts opted not to enforce the follow-on and instead pile on more runs. They did exactly that, hitting a quickfire 132, setting England a mammoth 530 to win. Ultimately, the tourists never got close to that score, but Root did his best.

Facing the lethal pace of Johnson and the spin of Nathan Lyon, the right-hander showcased maturity beyond his years. His innings combined delicate strokes with periods of gritty determination, demonstrating his ability to dig deep in a cauldron-like atmosphere. Root put on 110 runs with the experienced Kevin Pietersen, and he would go on to post a score of 87 before being caught behind off the aforementioned Lyon.

England would go on to lose the test by 218 runs and eventually the series in a humiliating 5-0 whitewash. Root’s performance was a silver lining, and many thought that a win on Australian soil was just around the corner. 12 years on, and England supporters are still waiting. Whether that comes in the 2024/25 series remains to be seen, but if it doesn’t, Root might not get another chance.