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In the end, even the celebration was perfect, under lights under that strange deep-blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the match situation – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose death cult-style at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, the former captain steered the ball away to fine leg to complete his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Consider trying to explain the reason this was not just warm, uplifting and cleansing, but profoundly significant.

A Moment Frozen in Time

A player who already possessed 39 tons in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now registered his fortieth. But, trace the story, the skill, the setbacks.

There'll, of course, be a lot of discussion stuff to be settled. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

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

The Captain's Hundred as a Sturdy Foundation

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. Was Harry Brook's dismissal the poorest shot? Yes. He did.

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

The innings commenced with the wings already falling off, and England’s key batter coming out at a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Crease

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

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

Meanwhile, a dusk was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc building up for the key 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 ball to Brook was full-length, the edge clear. There is no world where this was a sensible choice.

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

Root'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 everyone else’s too.

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

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

Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? Not sure. But Joe Root did score a hundred.