Ashes 2025: Joe Root breaks Asad Shafiq’s nine-year-old record

WEB DESK: England’s star batter Joe Root broke a nine-year-old record held by Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq during the ongoing Ashes series. In the day-night Test match against Australia in Brisbane, England posted 334 in their first innings, anchored by a brilliant 138 from Root.

Root’s century was his first on Australian soil and propelled him to a new milestone: he now holds the record for the highest individual score in a day-night Test in Australia. The previous record of 137 runs belonged to Pakistan’s Asad Shafiq, set in 2016 at the Gabba in a day-night Test against Australia.

Root’s knock not only strengthened England’s position in the high-stakes series but also wrote his name into the record books, surpassing a benchmark that had stood since Shafiq’s memorable innings nearly a decade ago.

Earlier on Thursday, in a historic Ashes moment, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc became the highest wicket-taking left-arm bowler in Test cricket. He surpassed Wasim Akram’s long-standing record of 414 wickets during the day-night Test in Brisbane.

Starc, who reached 415 Test wickets, received warm congratulations from Akram himself, who praised his “incredible hard work.” In the match, England reached 180 for 4 in their innings. Joe Root top-scored with 63, while Starc took 3 wickets for 31 runs, including the key dismissal of Harry Brook. The record cements Starc’s legacy as one of cricket’s premier modern pace bowlers.