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In the end, the moment of celebration was perfect, under lights under that strange deep-blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the match situation – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order scything away with reckless abandon at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, the veteran batsman eased the ball away through fine leg to notch his first Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Picture trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, inspiring and cleansing, but quietly epic.

A Moment Preserved in Time

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

There will, of course, be much banter-war stuff to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

However, there is something deeper about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about rivalry. Every Australian who cares for cricket already knows Root is a great cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Anchor

Root’s hundred felt meaningful in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a anchor in the glacier.

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook play... the worst shot yet? Yes. He did.

This was not merely a hundred in Australia, but a brilliant one in truly tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

It began with the team in deep trouble, and England’s premier batsman coming out at two wickets down for five runs. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

On one side, Root was exuding calm, easy, graceful, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

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

A Damaging Choice

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

The ball to Brook was full-length, the edge clear. There is no world where this was a sensible choice.

It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Quiet Rebuke

And so one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for everyone else’s too.

He offered his own masterful response, a triumph for preparation, correcting your flaws.

England are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, provided a lesson in what talent truly means.

Can they dismiss Australia? Are they going to learn? Not sure. But Joe Root made a hundred.