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Finally, the moment of celebration was perfect, under lights under that unique vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the contest – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose death cult-style at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. In the middle, the veteran batsman steered the ball away through fine leg to notch his first Test hundred in Australia.

However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Picture trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant.

An Achievement Caught in Its Own Light

A player who already had 39 centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his 40th. Yet, trace the narrative, the artistry, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be plenty of discussion talk to be settled. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

Yet there exists something more about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about point-scoring. Any Australian who understands cricket recognizes Root is a exceptional cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Handhold

Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, especially as something tangible in the series for this team, a foothold in the difficulty.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 truly tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

It had to start with the wings already falling off, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at a dire 5 for 2. A chance was put down early in the slips.

The Contrast 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, lithe, watchful. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius preparing for the crucial spell of the day.

A Costly Decision

Should one attack this threat? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

The delivery to Brook was full-length, the edge healthy. There is no scenario where this was a good 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.

The Veteran's Steady Rebuke

Thus one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings.

Root provided his own masterful response, a triumph for diligence, correcting your flaws.

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

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