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Finally, the moment of celebration was flawless, under lights under that unique vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order scything away death cult-style at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. Amidst it all, the former captain eased the ball away through fine leg to secure his first 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 subtly monumental.

An Achievement Caught in Time

A man who already had thirty-nine centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now compiled his 40th. But, consider the narrative, the artistry, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be a lot of discussion material to be resolved. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

But there is something more about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding one-upmanship. Every Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a world-class cricketer.

Root's Hundred as a Sturdy Anchor

This ton felt meaningful in other ways, not least as something concrete in the series for this team, a foothold in the difficulty.

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did.

This was not merely a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at 5/2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Crease

In the afternoon session, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

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

All the while, a gloom was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro building up for the crucial spell of the day.

A Costly Choice

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 at least novel in its abjectness. We have seen England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Silent Rebuke

Therefore 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, addressing your flaws.

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

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