Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden’s daughter, Grace Hayden, sparked a light-hearted moment on social media after England batter Joe Root finally scored his first Test hundred on Australian soil. On Thursday, December 4, Grace shared an Instagram story thanking Root for “saving all our eyes,” a playful nod to her father’s bold claim made earlier in 2025.
Back in September, during an episode of the All Over Bar the Cricket podcast, Hayden confidently backed Root to deliver during the 2025–26 Ashes in Australia. He had stated that Root was too good a player to miss out on a century and famously vowed to “run nude around the MCG” if the England star failed to reach three figures that summer.
“He averages 40, bud, with a high score of 180… I’ll walk nude around the MCG if he doesn’t get a hundred this summer,” Matthew Hayden had said, emphasising Root’s class and consistency.
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Root had arrived in Australia this time with a point to prove. After failing to hit a century in his previous three Test tours and starting the 2025 series poorly with a low score in Perth, the pressure was immense. But on Thursday, walking in at 5/2 in just the third over, he delivered one of the most composed innings of his career.
Showing trademark patience and elegance, the former England captain reached his hundred off 181 balls, powering England back into the contest while silencing critics who questioned his ability to score in Australia.
Matthew Hayden’s daughter’s Instagram story on Joe Root’s hundred. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/OeCZLJk5N5
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) December 4, 2025
Cricket banter at its absolute finest! 😂📲
Hayden’s daughter posted an Instagram story thanking Joe Root for saving her eyes because Dad won’t have to keep his promise now 🤣🙈#Ashes2025 #JoeRoot #BDCricTime pic.twitter.com/JT1t5Qc9Ts
— bdcrictime.com (@BDCricTime) December 4, 2025
Grace’s humorous post—captioned “Root thank you you’ve saved all our eyes”—quickly grabbed attention, adding a fun twist to the ongoing Ashes rivalry.
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Matthew Hayden himself also congratulated Root in a video shared by England Cricket, which has since gone viral. With trademark Aussie humour, Hayden said, “G’day Joe, congratulations mate on a hundred here in Australia. Took you a while, and no one had more skin in the game than me—literally. Ten fifties and finally a hundred. You little ripper. Enjoy it, mate.”
Root’s milestone not only eased the tension for Hayden but also set the stage for a fiery continuation of the Ashes summer.
