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Ultimately, the very celebration was perfect, on the field under that strange deep-blue southern sky, within the tumult of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose with reckless abandon at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. At the heart, the former captain steered the ball away through fine leg to notch his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Consider trying to explain why this was not just warm, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant.

A Milestone Frozen in Time

A man who already had 39 tons in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now registered his 40th. But, follow the story, the craft, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be plenty of discussion material to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

Yet there exists something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning one-upmanship. Any Australian who understands cricket recognizes Root is a great cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Sturdy Anchor

The century felt significant in other ways, especially as something solid in the series for this team, a anchor in the glacier.

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 may have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the team in deep trouble, and England’s key batter coming out at two wickets down for five runs. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Middle

By mid-afternoon, England were 175 for three. Two versions 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 desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a gloom was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc revving up for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Damaging Stroke

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

The delivery to Brook was full, the edge healthy. 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. Now Brook presented 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 not just for his life, but for the team's cause.

Root provided his own subtle correction, a victory for diligence, correcting your flaws.

The tourists are still in this series because he scaled the peak, provided a lesson in what skill truly means.

Will they take twenty wickets? Will they adapt? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.