An imperious Joe Root hit a magnificent 160 to drive England to 384 in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday before Travis Head let rip to haul Australia back into the contest with a rapid-fire unbeaten 91.
Joe Root finally ended his long drought of Test centuries in Australia on Thursday, and the milestone brought an amusing sense of relief for former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, who had made a bold public promise tied to Root’s performance.
England opener Zak Crawley praised a "flawless" Joe Root after the 34-year-old broke his Australia century drought on the first day of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday.
Joe Root finally scored his maiden Test century in Australia on his fourth Ashes tour to guide England from a precarious 5-2 to 325-9 at stumps after a pulsating first day of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday.
Joe Root's century in Brisbane on Thursday -- the first of his prolific career in Australia -- ends any lingering debate over his status as a giant of the sport.
England captain Ben Stokes called Steve Smith and Joe Root the greatest batsmen of their generation on Thursday and said keeping the Australian skipper quiet was crucial to winning the Ashes.
Joe Root heads into the Ashes, beginning on Friday in Perth, ranked as the world's best batsman with a colossal 39 Test hundreds to his name... but still waiting for his first ton in Australia.
Skipper Ben Stokes hailed Joe Root as England's greatest batsman Wednesday and backed him to fire in the Ashes against Australia, while hyping up his team's vaunted pace attack.
Joe Root insists England can end their 10-year long Ashes drought as they bid to finally "bring the urn home" from their tour to Australia later this year.
Joe Root has brushed aside David Warner's jibe that he will need to "take the surfboard off his front leg" if England are to triumph in Australia in the upcoming Ashes series.
Harry Brook and Joe Root both hit hundreds before England's series finale against India was left on a knife edge after an Oval downpour cut short Sunday's fourth day.
Ricky Ponting is convinced there is "absolutely no reason" why Joe Root cannot surpass India's Sachin Tendulkar as Test cricket's all-time leading run-scorer after the England star leapfrogged the Australian into second place on Friday.