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Ultimately, even the celebration was flawless, out there under that strange vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the match situation – manic Baz energy, the English lower order scything away with reckless abandon at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. At the heart, the former captain steered the ball away through fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Imagine trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, inspiring and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Moment Caught in Time

A man who already had 39 hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now registered his 40th. But, trace the story, the artistry, the setbacks.

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

Yet there exists something further about wanting Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning rivalry. Any Australian who understands cricket recognizes Root is a world-class cricketer.

The Captain's Century as a Solid Anchor

The century felt significant in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a foothold in the difficulty.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Was Harry Brook's dismissal the poorest shot? Yes. He did.

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

It had to start with the wings already falling off, and England’s key batter coming out at 5/2. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Crease

In the afternoon session, England were in a reasonable position. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire grit 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 urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Reckless Stroke

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

The ball to Brook was full-length, the edge healthy. There is no scenario where this was a smart choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its utter failure. We have seen England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Silent Answer

Therefore one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for the entire innings.

He offered his own subtle correction, a success for doing your homework, correcting your flaws.

England are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, offered a lesson in what talent in the end means.

Will they take twenty wickets? Will they adapt? Not sure. But Joe Root did score a hundred.