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Ultimately, the very celebration was ideal, out there under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, within the tumult of the game-state – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. In the middle, Joe Root steered the ball away to fine leg to complete his maiden Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Picture trying to explain the reason this was not just heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but subtly monumental.

A Moment Caught in Its Own Light

A man who already had 39 hundreds in this traditional format of a sport has now compiled his 40th. But, follow the journey, the artistry, the setbacks.

There'll, of course, be a lot of debate material to be hashed out. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he *Australian* great?

But there is something deeper about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding rivalry. Every Australian who cares for cricket already knows Root is a exceptional cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Foundation

Root’s hundred felt meaningful in other ways, especially as something concrete in the series for this team, a handhold in the glacier.

Will England triumph at the Gabba? Uncertain. 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 truly tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the team in deep trouble, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at a dire 5 for 2. A chance was put down early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

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

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

A Reckless Stroke

Should one attack this threat? Apparently so. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

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

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

The Veteran's Steady Answer

And so one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for the team's cause.

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

The tourists are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, provided a lesson in what skill in the end means.

Can they dismiss Australia? Are they going to learn? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root made a hundred.