Why Grace Hayden Is Thanking Joe Root For His First Century In Australia; The Full Story Behind Viral ‘Naked Walk’ Challenge

Joe Root’s maiden Test century on Australian soil didn’t just rescue England on Day 1 of the second Ashes Test—it rescued Matthew Hayden from one of the most outrageous public “challenges” ever uttered in cricket banter. The legendary Australian opener had boldly claimed he would “run nude around the MCG” if Root failed to score a century in Australia this summer. What began as playful pre-series humour quickly turned into a viral storyline, with Hayden’s daughter Grace Hayden becoming the unexpected hero of the narrative.

Root’s Long-Awaited Gabba Milestone

Root walked into the pink-ball Test at The Gabba under significant scrutiny. Despite a mountain of Test runs worldwide, he had never managed a hundred in Australia—a glaring gap for a modern great. But on a lively Day 1 surface, the