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Ultimately, the very celebration was perfect, on the field under that unusual intense blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, the former captain steered the ball away through fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Picture trying to explain the reason this was not just warm, inspiring and cleansing, but quietly epic.

A Milestone Frozen in Time

A batsman who already possessed thirty-nine tons in this traditional format of a sport has now scored his 40th. However, trace the narrative, the craft, the twists and turns.

There will, of course, be a lot of discussion talk to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

But there is something more about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about rivalry. Every Australian who knows about cricket recognizes Root is a exceptional cricketer.

Root's Century as a Sturdy Handhold

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

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 truly tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

It had to start with the team in deep trouble, and England’s key batter coming out at a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 3/175. Two examples of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

On one side, Root was exuding calm, relaxed, lithe, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Reckless Choice

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

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

It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We have seen England bat in Australia without fluidity. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Quiet Rebuke

Thus one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for the entire innings.

Root provided his own quiet rebuke, a victory for diligence, correcting your flaws.

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

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