Joe Root Targets First Ashes Century in Australia
Root Eyes First Century in Australia Ahead of Ashes Tour
LONDON — England’s Joe Root is gearing up for another shot at history as he targets his first Test century in Australia during this year’s Ashes series.
Root, 34, recently climbed to second on the all-time Test run-scorer list during England’s five-match series against India, which ended in a 2-2 draw earlier this month. His career tally now stands at 13,543 runs — behind only India’s Sachin Tendulkar, who amassed 15,921.
Despite his prolific record, the former England captain has yet to win a Test match or score a century on Australian soil. In 27 innings Down Under, Root has averaged 35.68 with nine half-centuries.
“Having played in Australia a couple of times before, now going with 150-odd Test caps under my belt, I feel I couldn’t be more ready for it,” Root told British media on Thursday. “The last couple of times I probably wanted it [a century] way too much, which took me away from what was important.”
Australia dominated the last two Ashes series on home turf, winning 4-0 in both 2017-18 and 2021-22. They also retained the urn after a 2-2 draw in England in 2023. England’s last Test win in Australia — and their last series victory there — came in 2010-11.
Reflecting on past tours, Root pointed to a number of off-field distractions, from the Ben Stokes incident in 2017 to the COVID disruptions in 2021-22. “This time I just want to enjoy the tour for what it is,” he said. Australia is a beautiful country and a great place to play cricket. If I put in my best performances, everything else will take care of itself.”
The 2025-26 Ashes will open in Perth on November 21, followed by a day-night Test in Brisbane. The series will then move to Adelaide before concluding with the traditional Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney.
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