Joe Root’s maiden Test century on Australian soil didn’t just steady England on Day 1 of the second Ashes Test, it saved Matthew Hayden from one of the most bizarre public challenges ever thrown around in cricket banter.

Earlier this summer, the Australian legend had boldly claimed he would “run nude around the MCG” if Root failed to notch up a hundred in Australia. What started as light-hearted pre-series humour suddenly became a global talking point, thanks in large part to Hayden’s daughter, Grace Hayden.

Root Finally Gets His Australian Century

Coming into the pink-ball Test at The Gabba, Root was carrying a surprising stat on his back. For all his brilliance, nearly 12,000 Test runs, dozens of centuries, he had never scored a Test hundred in Australia. It was a curious gap in an ot

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