Ashes: Joe Root is targeting to play for England in the 2029-30 Ashes series

Root’s 160 helped England to 384 at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before Australia hit back with 166-2. He spent nearly two hours off the field during Australia’s innings, an absence later attributed to a spasm in his back.

This final century took Root to 13,937 Tests, just under 2,000 runs behind Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, the only man with more. Root is playing his 163rd Test and four more years as an England international will provide enough opportunities to surpass Tendulkar’s record of 200 matches.

Root is a two-time Ashes series winner on home soil, but his career has coincided with England’s dismal record down under.

In Root’s previous three tours, England had lost 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0. He was captain in both 4-0 defeats.

England surrendered the series with defeats in the first three Tests, but managed to avoid a 5-0 clean sweep with victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This was the first victory in Australia for both Root and his successor as England captain Ben Stokes.

“Winning at the MCG was great,” Root said. “Hopefully it will benefit the Test team moving forward when he returns to playing here and has good memories.

“For a lot of people in this team, this is the first time they’ve been here, so if they have good memories and we can find a way to win this game, next time we go out, our last memories here will be two Ashes wins.

“The baggage that may have been there for the previous generation may not be there for them. There’s a lot to play for over the next three days.”

Root has previously suffered bad moments in Sydney. In 2013-14, in his first Ashes outing, the Yorkshireman was dropped by Sydney – the only time he was dropped in his Test career.

Four years later, he ended up in hospital after being beaten in temperatures of 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 Fahrenheit). Illness prevented him from performing his post-series presentation and media duties as conductor.

Earlier in the tour, Root finally made his maiden Ashes hundred for Australia in the second Test in Brisbane.

He repeated his celebration from the Gabba when he reached three figures at the Sydney Cricket Ground, shrugging his shoulders in the direction of the Barmy army.

“We’ve had some amazing support in this series and we haven’t been able to achieve what we set out to achieve,” Root said.

“At no time did that waver, and it never wavered when I came here on tour. It was phenomenal. It’s my way of saying thank you.”