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In the end, the moment of celebration was flawless, under lights under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely with reckless abandon at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. Amidst it all, the former captain steered the ball away to fine leg to secure his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Imagine trying to explain the reason this was not just heartwarming, inspiring and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Milestone Frozen in Its Own Light

A batsman who already had thirty-nine tons in this traditional format of a sport has now registered his 40th. However, consider the journey, the craft, the jags in the road.

There'll, of course, be a lot of banter-war talk to be hashed out. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

However, there is something further about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Any Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a world-class cricketer.

Root's Century as a Solid Anchor

Root’s hundred felt important 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? Uncertain. 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 superb one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

It had to start with the team in deep trouble, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at 5/2. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Crease

As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

On one side, Root was exuding calm, easy, graceful, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Costly Stroke

Is it wise to challenge this? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

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

It was at least novel in its utter failure. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Quiet Response

And so 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 victory for doing your homework, correcting your flaws.

England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, delivered a lesson in what talent in the end means.

Can they dismiss Australia? Are they going to learn? Uncertain. But Joe Root did score a hundred.