England’s star batter Joe Root finally ended the long wait for his first Test century on Australian soil. Root struck a superb hundred on the opening day of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane on 4 November. Batting at number four, he reached his century in the final session, marking his maiden ton in Australia across formats. While this brought relief to England and Root himself, no one was happier than Australian legend Matthew Hayden — because his reputation was on the line.

Despite scoring 39 Test centuries and over 13,000 runs, Root had never scored a hundred in Australia before this match. Since his first tour in 2013, he had played 15 Tests in the country, scoring nine half-centuries but never converting one into a century. This raised constant debate over whether he would ever reach the milestone on Australian turf. But Hayden was confident — confident enough to make a bold, humorous promise.

Before the Ashes began, Matthew Hayden openly predicted that Root would get a century in Australia this time. He went as far as saying that if Root failed, he would run naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His dramatic claim quickly became one of the most talked-about storylines of the series, creating both excitement and amusement among fans.

Fortunately for Hayden, Joe Root delivered. His brilliant century on day one of the second Test spared Hayden from an embarrassing dare — and the former opener was visibly delighted.

As soon as Root completed his ton, Hayden recorded a message congratulating him. In the video, he said, “Hello Joe, congratulations on scoring your first century in Australia. It took you a while, and honestly, no one’s reputation was more at stake than mine. I always believed you’d get there. Ten fifties and finally a hundred — enjoy it, mate.”

Australian fans also celebrated Root’s achievement, but mostly out of relief and humour. Hayden’s daughter, Grace Hayden, had been teasing Root and urging him to score a century from the very first day of the series. Ever since Hayden’s bold promise went viral, Grace — along with the Australian media and fans — had repeatedly reminded him of the consequences if Root didn’t reach the milestone.

So when Root finally raised his bat for his first Australian century, cricket lovers across Australia jokingly cheered, thanking him for “saving” Hayden — and sparing the nation an unforgettable sight.