Joe Root on Sunday paid a tribute to former England batter Graham Thorpe after scoring his 39th Test century on Day 4 of the fifth Test at the Oval.
Root, who anchored the England second innings and stitched a crucial partnership of 195 runs for the fourth wicket with Harry Brook (111), reached his 39th century with a double in the 60th over, bowled by Akash Deep. He reached his hundred off 137 balls, hitting 12 fours.
After completing his century, Root kissed the badge on his helmet and raised his bat to acknowledge the applause from the crowd. After that, he also picked up the ‘Graham Thorpe headband’, wore it, and pointed up to the sky.
The headband straight on
“England’s present No. 4 will never forget England’s previous No. 4, that meant so much to him.”
@IGcom pic.twitter.com/MnPzz4vQmQ
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 3, 2025
Notably, Thorpe who was regarded as one of the best English players of his generation, played 182 matches for England (100 Tests, 82 ODIs). He was the batting coach of the England Test team after retirement till he was dismissed along with other support staff following England’s 0-4 defeat in the Ashes series of 2021-22.
Thorpe took his own life on August 4 last year after a long struggle with anxiety and depression. Between 1993 and 2005, Thorpe played 100 Test matches and 82 One-Day Internationals for England He scored 6,744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 and amassed 2,380 ODI runs.
On Day 4 of the Oval Test, England players and supporters were also seen donning white headbands, which bore a silhouette of Thorpe and his initials. Thorpe famously wore a headband while batting during his glittering career. The limited-edition headbands were also sold to raise money for mental health charity Mind.