TON UP SO GOOD FOR ROOT CAUSE

JOE ROOT'S maiden hundred Down Under left former England teammate Sir Alastair Cook purring: “Even Australia will have to admit he's a great now.”

- BY RORY DOLLARD

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

He ended his barren run on the opening day of the second Ashes Test, surviving being dropped on two after England had lurched to 5-2 to post an unbeaten 135 as the tourists reached stumps at 325-9.