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In the end, the moment of celebration was perfect, out there under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the contest – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order scything away in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. At the heart, Joe Root steered the ball away to fine leg to notch his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Picture trying to explain the reason this was more than warm, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant.

A Moment Caught in Its Own Light

A man who already possessed 39 tons in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now compiled his 40th. Yet, follow the narrative, the craft, the setbacks.

There will, of course, be a lot of debate material to be settled. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he *Australian* great?

Yet there exists something more about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Any Australian who understands cricket is well aware Root is a world-class cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Sturdy Anchor

Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, particularly as something solid in the series for this team, a handhold in the difficulty.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook play... the worst shot yet? Yes. He did.

And not just a hundred in Australia, but a brilliant one in truly tough conditions, an innings that may have saved his team in this series.

It began with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s key batter coming out at two wickets down for five runs. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Middle

By mid-afternoon, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

On one side, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, lithe, watchful. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

All the while, a gloom was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro building up for the key spell of the day.

A Costly Decision

Do you run towards this danger? Yep. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

The delivery to Brook was full, the edge clear. There is no scenario where this was a smart choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its abjectness. We have seen England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Quiet Response

Thus one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings.

He delivered his own subtle correction, a success for preparation, addressing your flaws.

The tourists are still in this series because he did the thing, provided a lesson in what talent in the end means.

Can they dismiss Australia? Are they going to learn? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root made a hundred.