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In the end, the moment of celebration was perfect, out there under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order scything away in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, Joe Root guided the ball away to fine leg to secure his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Consider trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but profoundly significant.

A Moment Caught in Time

A batsman who already had 39 hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his 40th. But, follow the story, the artistry, the jags in the road.

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

However, there is something deeper about wanting Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning rivalry. Any Australian who cares for cricket already knows Root is a exceptional cricketer.

Root's Hundred as a Reliable Handhold

Root’s hundred felt meaningful in other ways, not least as something solid in the series for this team, a anchor in the glacier.

Will England triumph 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 outstanding one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that may have saved his team in this series.

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

The Juxtaposition in the Crease

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

At one end, Root was exuding calm, relaxed, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

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

A Costly Stroke

Do you run towards this danger? Apparently so. No sighters, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

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

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

The Veteran's Quiet Answer

And so one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for everyone else’s too.

Root provided his own subtle correction, a success for doing your homework, correcting your flaws.

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

Will they take twenty wickets? Will they adapt? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root made a hundred.