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Ultimately, the very celebration was flawless, on the field under that unusual intense blue southern sky, within the tumult of the game-state – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away with reckless abandon at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. At the heart, the veteran batsman guided the ball away to 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 warm, uplifting and cathartic, but quietly epic.

An Achievement Preserved in Its Own Light

A man who already possessed thirty-nine centuries in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now compiled his fortieth. However, consider the narrative, the artistry, the setbacks.

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

But there is something more about wanting Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Any Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a great cricketer.

Root's Century as a Sturdy Foundation

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

Will England triumph at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Was Harry Brook's dismissal the poorest shot? Yes. He did.

And not just 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 early wickets tumbling, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at two wickets down for five runs. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Crease

As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

At one end, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, graceful, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Damaging Decision

Should one attack this threat? 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 world where this was a good choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Quiet Answer

Therefore one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for everyone else’s too.

He delivered his own subtle correction, a triumph for doing your homework, working at your flaws.

The tourists are still in this series because he did the thing, offered a lesson in what skill in the end means.

Are they going to bowl Australia out? Are they going to learn? Not sure. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.