Australian cricket legend Matthew Hayden’s daughter expressed gratitude towards England hero Joe Root for preventing her father from fulfilling a bet to strip naked. Root achieved his first century in Australia on Thursday at the Gabba, marking 12 years since his initial Ashes tour.
The former England captain’s innings of 135 not out from 202 balls provided joy and relief as he anchored his team’s batting. This achievement spared Hayden from having to walk around the MCG naked, a promise he made if Root failed to score a century during the tour. Hayden, after Root’s impressive performance following low scores in Perth, acknowledged the potential trouble he avoided with his wife and daughter.
Grace Hayden, a commentator, publicly expressed her relief on Instagram, making a sign of the cross and captioning a video with, “Root thank you you’ve saved all our eyes.” In response, Hayden himself shared his nervous anticipation and congratulated Root for his century, emphasizing the personal stakes he had in Root’s success.
Root’s former captain Alastair Cook praised the milestone as a brilliant innings, highlighting Root’s consistent performance under pressure and hailing him as England’s best batsman ever.