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In the end, the very celebration was perfect, under lights under that unique vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the contest – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Right. All that drama. At the heart, the veteran batsman guided the ball away past fine leg to secure his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Consider trying to explain why this was not just heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental.

An Achievement Preserved in Its Own Light

A player who already possessed thirty-nine hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now compiled his 40th. Yet, trace the journey, the craft, the jags in the road.

There'll, of course, be plenty of debate talk to be settled. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

Yet there exists something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about rivalry. Every Australian who understands cricket is well aware Root is a exceptional cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Sturdy Handhold

This ton felt significant in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the difficulty.

Will England triumph at the Gabba? Don’t know. 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 began with the team in deep trouble, and England’s premier batsman coming out at two wickets down for five runs. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 3/175. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

At one end, Root was simply being himself, easy, lithe, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

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

A Damaging Choice

Do you run towards this danger? Yes. No sighters, no feet. Just a reckless waft first up.

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

It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We have seen England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Steady Rebuke

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

He offered his own masterful response, a victory for preparation, working at your flaws.

England are still in this series because he did the thing, provided a lesson in what ability in the end means.

Are they going to bowl Australia out? Will they adapt? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root made a hundred.