England captain Ben Stokes was clearly immersed in the drama of Joe Root's long-awaited century drought in Australia, watching intensely from the dugout. Root finally notched his maiden Test hundred in Australia during the Gabba Ashes Test. Stokes, who had been involved in an earlier mix-up that led to his own run-out, showed clear tension while shifting in his seat as Root inched closer to the triple-figure milestone which spanned for almost 10 years.
Ben Stokes reacts emotionally to Joe Root's century
The moment Root pushed hard for the crucial second run to reach three figures, Stokes erupted in a fierce display of emotion. He was seen leaping from his chair, punching the air, and shouting, "Go ball! Yes Joe!" His powerful reaction perfectly captured the significance of the achievement, not just as a personal triumph for Root, but as a stabilising performance desperately needed by the England side after their shaky start to the innings. Root, visibly moved, lifted his bat to acknowledge the applause, having finally broken the long-standing streak of never scoring a Test century on Australian soil.
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Joe Root's century places England in good stead
It was Root who not only rescued England from a precarious position but also placed them in good stead. Walking to the crease at a dire 5/2 following Mitchell Starc's early double-strike that removed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, Root immediately absorbed the pressure. He successfully rebuilt the innings alongside Zak Crawley, with the pair establishing a crucial partnership before Crawley's dismissal for 76 to Michael Neser. Even as wickets continued to tumble around him—including Ben Stokes' unfortunate run-out, Root skillfully switched between periods of measured restraint and aggressive counterattack, effectively keeping England afloat almost single-handedly.
Wickets kept falling but that didn't deter Root (135*) in any which away. He expertly worked the ball into gaps, consistently punished loose deliveries, and maintained patience through testing spells delivered by Starc, Scott Boland, and Neser. His unbeaten hundred finally ended a notable drought that had stretched across 30 innings in Australia, a period during which he had still managed to record ten half-centuries. Having publicly expressed his desire to rewrite his record on Australian soil before the series began, Day 1 delivered a profound moment of personal and team redemption. By the close of play, England found themselves very much still in the contest, reaching a total of 325/9.