India, Dec. 5 -- Joe Root finally snapped his long-standing century drought in Australia, rising to the occasion with a composed, pressure-soaked hundred in the challenging pink-ball Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. The England star delivered when it mattered most, standing tall in testing conditions to reclaim command on Australian soil. The former English skipper was unbeaten on 135 at stumps on Day 1 where his batting partners were struggling to get going against Mitchell Starc and Co. against the pink ball.

The former England captain, who has scored tons in every other major Test-playing nation, had been under constant scrutiny for his numbers Down Under. With the chatter growing louder ahead of the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, th...