England’s Joe Root secures his first Ashes century in Australia

Root’s lack of a three-figure score in any format in Australia was a major subplot ahead of this series.

Joe Root ticked off a big-ticket item missing from his distinguished CV by bringing up his maiden hundred in Australia in the day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane.

While he has amassed more than 13,000 Test runs – only India great Sachin Tendulkar has more – Root’s lack of a three-figure score in any format in Australia was a major subplot ahead of this Ashes series.

After scores of nought and eight in England’s two-day defeat in Perth, Root was put down on two at the Gabba as a diving Steve Smith failed to hang on to a difficult low chance at slip off Mitchell Starc.

However, the 34-year-old, who came to the crease in the third over with England wobbling on five for two, capitalised on