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In the end, the very celebration was flawless, under lights under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the match situation – frantic Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, the former captain guided the ball away past fine leg to complete his maiden Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Picture trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but subtly monumental.

A Moment Preserved in Its Own Light

A man who already had 39 hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now compiled his fortieth. But, trace the journey, the skill, the jags in the road.

There will, of course, be a lot of banter-war material to be settled. 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. It’s not about point-scoring. Any Australian who knows about cricket is well aware Root is a great cricketer.

Root's Century as a Solid Foundation

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

Will England triumph at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 brilliant one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the wings already falling off, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at 5/2. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two examples of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

At one end, Root was exuding calm, easy, graceful, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Reckless Stroke

Do you run towards this danger? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

The ball to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no context where this was a sensible choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its utter failure. We have seen England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Silent Rebuke

Thus one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for the entire innings.

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

England are still in this series because he did the thing, delivered a lesson in what skill truly means.

Are they going to bowl Australia out? Will they adapt? Not sure. But Joe Root made a hundred.