WATCH: Matthew Hayden finds joy as Stuart Broad shuts his eyes after yet another Joe Root failure

Stuart Broad shuts his eyes after yet another Joe Root failure, Matthew Hayden finds joy in meltdown

England’s second innings in Perth was hanging by a thread when Mitchell Starc went full at Joe Root. With four wickets down and a modest lead, their most dependable batter was the last firm barrier before Australia could attack the lower order. One late inswinger and Root’s off stump lay flattened as England slipped to 76/5 with a lead of 116.

But what followed was equally as revealing as the broken stumps. The telecast shifted from the pitch to the commentary box, focusing on Stuart Broad's face that collapsed into helpless, utter disappointment.

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Broad's response was that of a man who had been deeply affected by that dismissal. He rubbed his eyes, squeezed the bridge of his nose, and leaned back for a moment, his lips pushed together, his look halfway between amazement and cautious recognition as the ball clattered against the base of the off stump. It appeared as if the all-rounder in him was like wanting to go back on the field, attempting to save England.

Stuart Broad and Matthew Hayden are getting along brilliantly #Ashes https://t.co/QyAAUQxrW8 pic.twitter.com/qYYr2iMNey

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 22, 2025

Matthew Hayden was the epitome of contrast next to him. Hayden's shoulders relaxed as he watched the footage with an obvious smile while Broad sank. It was the body language of an ex-Australian opener who had seen this film before: English hopes hanging on their star batter, an Australian quick tearing him out and the home crowd cheering its approbation.

The emotional division of an Ashes series was encapsulated in that brief clip. Stuart Broad, an official neutral analyst, has shared dressing rooms, trophies, and series scars with Root; every English defeat still falls on his face. Hayden, on the other hand, returned to his role as a partisan enforcer with ease, enjoying another swing of momentum Australia's way.