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In the end, even the celebration was perfect, under lights under that strange vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the contest – hyper Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away with reckless abandon at the other end.

Right. All that drama. In the middle, the veteran batsman eased the ball away through fine leg to notch his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Imagine trying to explain the reason this was not just warm, uplifting and cleansing, but profoundly significant.

An Achievement Caught in Time

A man who already had 39 hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his 40th. However, trace the story, the artistry, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be a lot of discussion stuff to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

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

Root's Century as a Reliable Foundation

Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, particularly as something concrete in the series for this team, a handhold in the ice.

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? Uncertain. 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 outstanding one in truly tough conditions, an innings that may 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. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Crease

By mid-afternoon, England were 175 for three. Two examples of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

On one side, Root was playing his natural game, relaxed, 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 swing maestro preparing for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Reckless Stroke

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

The delivery to Brook was full-length, the edge healthy. There is no context where this was a sensible choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its abjectness. We have seen England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Steady Rebuke

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

Root provided his own masterful response, a triumph for diligence, working at your flaws.

England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, delivered a lesson in what skill truly means.

Will they take twenty wickets? Can they evolve? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.