Joe Root Ends Australia Hoodoo: England Star Shuts Down 'Average Joe' Taunt With Maiden Ton

Joe Root ended years of scrutiny in Australia with his maiden Test century in the Ashes 2025. Overcoming a horror start and the "Average Joe" taunt, his resilient innings in Brisbane anchored England and marked a career-defining breakthrough.

Before the beginning of the ongoing Ashes 2025 series, the major topic of discussion was not only about whether England would end their 10-year Ashes drought but also whether Joe Root could overcome his poor record against Australia Down Under. The scrutiny on Joe Root is immense as he has been Australia’s nemesis over the years, often struggling to convert starts into big scores on Australian soil.

Touring Australia for the fourth time for the Ashes series, Joe Root has been put in the spotlight before his arrival Down Under, given his inconsistent past performances and the immense expectations to finally deliver a big innings against the hosts on Australian soil. Australia was one of the two countries where the former England captain did not record a century against a full-member nation in Tests.

In the last three Ashes series in Australia, Joe Root amassed 892 runs, including nine fifties, at an average of 35.68 in 14 matches and 27 innings, a record that repeatedly highlighted his struggle to convert his promising starts into the big scores. A match-defining century was expected from a player of his calibre.

Horror Start in Perth to Maiden Ton in Australia

Joe Root’s fourth Ashes series on Australian soil had a horror start in Perth, where he was dismissed cheaply in both innings of the first Test at the Optus Stadium. The 34-year-old’s twin failures in the Perth opener put him in the spotlight again as the critics questioned whether his struggles on Australian soil were set to continue for a fourth straight tour.

After Joe Root and the entire England team skipped the Pink-Ball practice match against Australia Prime Minister’s XI at Canberra’s Manuka Oval, many questioned the team’s preparation, with former players calling England’s decision to skip the pink-ball warm-up ‘amateurish.’ However, Root managed to flip the script entirely, walking out in Brisbane with a renewed intent.

Walking in to bat after England were reduced to 5/2, Joe Root, alongside opener Zak Crawley, steadied the visitors’ batting with a crucial 117-run stand for the third wicket before the latter’s dismissal for 76 off 83 balls at 122/3. After Crawley’s dismissal, the former England captain took charge of the team’s innings with a steely resolve — and he delivered.

Though the wickets were tumbling around him, Root anchored the innings steadfastly and was quite determined to go for a long-awaited century on Australian soil. The England star batter was batting on 98 when he hit a four off Scott Boland’s delivery to complete his first Test century in Australia. The celebration by Root after reaching the three-figure mark said everything, while his teammates in the dressing room and the English crowd in Brisbane erupted in jubilation, rising to their feet to applaud a landmark moment.

Joe Root’s 13-year drought of an international century on Australian soil finally came to an end, marking a career-defining breakthrough that reignited England’s belief that their talisman could anchor a historic Ashes turnaround on Australian soil.

‘Average Joe’ Tag Buried

The Australian media have been quite hard on Joe Root as he is not only their nation’s nemesis in cricket for a long time, but also a perpetual thorn in their bowling plans, yet his inability to score a century in Australia has long been used as ammunition to downplay his greatness.

Western Australia, one of the leading newspapers in Australia, targeted Joe Root by highlighting his Test record on Australian soil, dubbing him ‘Average Joe’, which became a recurring jibe every time he failed to convert a start into a big score in Australia.

“Dud Root Down Under: Hero in the homeland but pretender in Australia. The stats that haunt England's greatest batter ahead of Ashes showdown,” reads the West Australian’s front page before the Ashes series opener in Perth.

However, the ‘Average Joe’ jibe at the former England captain was silenced spectacularly as Joe Root has not only reached his maiden international century on Australian soil, but did so under immense pressure, proving his class and resilience against the hosts on their own turf.

Moreover, Joe Root has completed 1000 Test runs on Australian soil, adding another feather to his cap in the format. As of the first innings of the Pink-Ball Test, the veteran England batter has amassed 1035 runs, including a century and nine fifties, at an average of 38.33.

Fans Hail England Star for Breaking Australia Century Drought

Joe Root's end of his long-awaited drought of a century on Australian soil received widespread acclaim from fans and cricket enthusiasts around the world as they celebrated his resilience and lauded his mastery over the Australian attack.

Since Joe Root’s century drought in Australia was a major topic of discussion leading up to the Ashes, his innings not only stunned the critics but also cemented his legacy as one of England’s greatest batters on the world stage. Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), Fans and cricket enthusiasts hailed the England star for his breaking century drought in Australia and guiding the team to a commanding position with his innings.

Meanwhile, England posted a total of 325/9 in 74 overs, with Joe Root and Jofra Archer batting on 135 and 32, respectively, as the team fought back strongly after an early batting collapse, putting themselves in a competitive position against Australia in the first innings.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc led the bowling attack with a six-wicket haul and registered figures of 6/71 at an economy rate of 3.70 in his spell of 19 overs. Michael Neser (1/43) and Scott Boland (1/87) picked a wicket each.