Australia’s bowlers will head into the Ashes 2025-26 with a unique incentive — preventing Joe Root from ending his century drought on Australian soil. If they succeed, fans might witness an unusual spectacle: legendary opener Matthew Hayden walking naked around the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Matthew Hayden made the bold promise on the All Over Bar the Cricket podcast, where he said, “I will walk nude around the MCG if Root doesn’t make a hundred this summer.” His statement reflects both confidence in Root’s sublime form and the sheer drama that surrounds Ashes cricket.
Root, one of the finest modern Test batters, has been in red-hot touch over the past few years. Since 2021, he has featured in 61 Tests, accumulating 5,720 runs at a remarkable average of 56.63 and a strike rate of over 62.
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This prolific run includes 22 centuries and 17 fifties, with a career-best score of 262. His most recent outing against India at home underlined his class, scoring 537 runs in five Tests at an average of 67.14, including three centuries.
Yet, despite his dominance, Australia remains a puzzle he has yet to solve fully. In 14 Tests Down Under, Root has managed 892 runs at an average of 35.68, with nine half-centuries but no three-figure score. His highest remains 89 — a statistic he’ll be determined to change.
Root recently overtook several greats to become the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, with 13,543 runs in 158 matches at an average of 51.29, including 39 centuries. However, a century in Australia is the glaring omission from his otherwise glittering career.
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For England, the Ashes carry even more weight. They have not won an away series since 2011 or lifted the urn overall since 2015. Under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ philosophy, this will be their sternest test yet in hostile Australian conditions. The five-match series begins in Perth on November 21, setting the stage for another chapter in cricket’s greatest rivalry.
