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In the end, even the celebration was ideal, out there under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – manic Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose death cult-style at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. In the middle, Joe Root eased the ball away through fine leg to notch his first Test hundred in Australia.

However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Consider trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant.

A Moment Frozen in Time

A man who already possessed 39 tons in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now scored his 40th. However, trace the narrative, the skill, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be much discussion talk to be settled. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he *Australian* great?

However, there is something further about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about point-scoring. Any Australian who cares for cricket recognizes Root is a exceptional cricketer.

Root's Century as a Sturdy Handhold

This ton felt important in other ways, particularly as something solid in the series for this team, a handhold in the glacier.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did.

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

It had to start with the wings already falling off, and England’s key batter coming out at 5/2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Crease

In the afternoon session, England were in a reasonable position. Two versions of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

At one end, Root was exuding calm, easy, lithe, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a dusk was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Costly Decision

Do you run towards this danger? 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 good choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its utter failure. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Steady Rebuke

Therefore one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the team's cause.

Root provided his own subtle correction, a triumph for preparation, correcting your flaws.

England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, offered a lesson in what ability ultimately means.

Are they going to bowl Australia out? Will they adapt? Not sure. But Joe Root made a hundred.