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In the end, even the celebration was perfect, out there under that unusual intense blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the game-state – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. Amidst it all, the veteran batsman guided the ball away through fine leg to notch his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant.

A Moment Preserved in Time

A man who already had thirty-nine tons in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his fortieth. Yet, consider the story, the skill, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be plenty of debate material to be hashed out. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he *Australian* great?

Yet there exists something more about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Any Australian who knows about cricket recognizes Root is a world-class cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Solid Foundation

The century felt meaningful in other ways, especially as something tangible in the series for this team, a foothold in the ice.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Was Harry Brook's dismissal the poorest shot? Yes. He did.

And not just a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

It began with the wings already falling off, and England’s premier batsman coming out at a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Crease

As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

At one end, Root was simply being himself, easy, graceful, watchful. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a gloom was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius preparing for the key spell of the day.

A Damaging Choice

Is it wise to challenge this? Yes. No sighters, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

The ball to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no world where this was a good choice.

It was at least novel in its abjectness. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Steady Answer

And so one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for everyone else’s too.

Root provided his own subtle correction, a success for doing your homework, working at your flaws.

The tourists are still in this series because he scaled the peak, provided a lesson in what ability ultimately means.

Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? Uncertain. But Joe Root did score a hundred.