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Ultimately, the very celebration was perfect, out there under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the contest – manic Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely death cult-style at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. Amidst it all, the former captain guided the ball away past fine leg to secure his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Consider trying to explain the reason this was not just heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental.

An Achievement Caught in Time

A man who already had thirty-nine tons in this traditional format of a sport has now scored his fortieth. But, follow the story, the artistry, the setbacks.

There will, of course, be a lot of debate talk to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

Yet there exists something more about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning rivalry. Any Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a great cricketer.

Root's Century as a Reliable Handhold

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

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did.

And not just a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

It began with the team in deep trouble, 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 3/175. Two versions of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

At one end, Root was playing his natural game, relaxed, graceful, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a gloom was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc building up for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Damaging Decision

Is it wise to challenge this? Yes. No sighters, no feet. Just a reckless waft first up.

The ball to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no context where this was a smart 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 Silent Response

And so one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings.

He delivered his own masterful response, a victory for preparation, addressing your flaws.

The tourists are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, delivered a lesson in what ability ultimately means.

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