Australia cricket star Matthew Hayden’s daughter expressed gratitude to England’s Joe Root for preventing her father from fulfilling a promise to strip naked. Root achieved his first century in Australia at the Gabba, 12 years after his initial Ashes tour, which brought relief to both him and Grace Hayden. The England batsman’s unbeaten 135 from 202 balls spared Hayden from carrying out a bet where he pledged to walk around the MCG unclothed if Root failed to reach a century during this tour.

Grace, a commentator, publicly thanked Root on Instagram, symbolically showing her relief by making the sign of the cross and saying, “Thank God.” She captioned her video with, “Root thank you you’ve saved all our eyes.” Hayden, an iconic figure in Australian cricket, acknowledged the close call and the potential repercussions with his family that were avoided due to Root’s performance.

In a message to Root, Hayden shared his nerves and congratulated the player on his long-awaited century in Australia, stating, “Took you a while, and there was no one that had more skin in the game than me, literally. I was backing you for a hundred in a good way. So, mate congratulations. Ten fifties and finally a hundred, you little ripper, mate.” He emphasized the relief felt by his wife and daughter, mentioning how he was anxiously counting down the innings.

Former England captain Alastair Cook praised Root’s innings, labeling him as one of England’s greatest players. Cook commended Root’s performance under pressure and hailed him as the best batsman in England’s history, highlighting his continuous improvement and resilience in crucial situations.