Summary "I think it was my most important hundred in this match," Root told BBC Radio's Test Match Special.
CARDIFF (AFP) - Joe Root said he had scored the most important hundred of his career after laying the platform for England s 169-run win over Australia in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on Saturday.
Australia, set what would have been a new fourth-innings Ashes record winning total of 412, were dismissed for 242 after tea on the fourth day as England went 1-0 up in the five-match series.
But England s win, achieved with more than a day to spare, owed much to Root s 134 in a first innings total of 430.
Dropped second ball on nought by wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, having come in with England in trouble at 43 for three, Root pressed on to what was the 24-year-old Yorkshireman s seventh hundred in just 28 Tests.
Man-of-the-match Root got in on the act again on Saturday, taking two wickers with his occasional off-breaks and ending the Test when he caught Josh Hazlewood in the deep off frontline spinner Moeen Ali.
But it was his batting which gave England s vice-captain the most pleasure.
"I think it was my most important hundred in this match," Root told BBC Radio s Test Match Special.
England s new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss, whose first match in charge could scarcely have gone better, had said beforehand the team would have to "fight fire with fire" to see off the Ashes holders.
And it was a sentiment Root was delighted to put into practice.
"When they (Australia) attack, it s the best time to attack them," explained Root, dropped from the Sydney finale of England s 5-0 Ashes series loss in 2013/14.
"There are more gaps in the field. And I ve always had people at the other end to build a partnership with, contributions from people like Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes were important and shouldn t be forgotten."
Impressed England captain Alastair Cook said of Root: "The world is his oyster with how good he is but you don t get there without hard work."
No side have made more to win in the fourth innings of an Ashes Test than Australia s 404 for three at Headingley back in 1948, which featured 173 not out from Don Bradman -- widely regarded as cricket s greatest batsman.
There were no comparable Australian heroics on Saturday, with England paceman Stuart Broad taking three for 39 in 14 overs.
England were criticised for repeatedly bowling too short and wide during their preceding drawn Test series with New Zealand but both their length and direction were much improved at Sophia Gardens.
"We decided that width was going to be easy. We d prefer to be driven than cut, and I can t really remember us being cut," said Broad.
Australia have not won an away Ashes series in 14 years, with skipper Clarke having ended up on the losing side in three successive Test tours of Britain.
"We were outplayed in all three facets," said Clarke. "England batted well on day one, we didn t take our catches and our batting let us down in both innings.
"We look forward to making amends in the second Test."
