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In the end, even the celebration was perfect, out there under that unique vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away death cult-style at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, Joe Root eased the ball away to fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than warm, inspiring and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Moment Preserved in Its Own Light

A man who already had thirty-nine tons in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now registered his 40th. Yet, consider the narrative, the artistry, the setbacks.

There'll, of course, be much banter-war talk to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he *Australian* great?

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

Root's Century as a Sturdy Anchor

Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the ice.

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 superb one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the team in deep trouble, and England’s premier batsman coming out at a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Crease

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

On one side, Root was playing his natural game, easy, graceful, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

Throughout, a dusk was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius building up for the key spell of the day.

A Costly Decision

Do you run towards this danger? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

The delivery to Brook was full-length, the edge thick. There is no world where this was a smart choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its abjectness. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Silent Rebuke

And so one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for the entire innings.

He offered his own quiet rebuke, a triumph for doing your homework, correcting your flaws.

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

Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? Not sure. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.