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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 – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose with reckless abandon at the other end.

Right. All that drama. In the middle, the former captain guided the ball away through fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Picture trying to explain why this was more than warm, inspiring and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Milestone Frozen in Time

A batsman who already possessed 39 hundreds in this traditional format of a sport has now compiled his fortieth. However, consider the story, the craft, the setbacks.

There'll, of course, be much discussion talk to be settled. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

Yet there exists something deeper about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Every Australian who knows about cricket recognizes Root is a exceptional cricketer.

Root's Hundred as a Solid Foundation

This ton felt important in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the ice.

Will England triumph at the Gabba? Uncertain. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook play... the worst shot yet? Yes. He did.

And not just a hundred in Australia, but a superb one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

The innings commenced with the team in deep trouble, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Crease

In the afternoon session, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

At one end, Root was exuding calm, relaxed, lithe, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro building up for the crucial spell of the day.

A Costly Stroke

Should one attack this threat? Yes. No sighters, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

The ball to Brook was full, the edge clear. 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 without fluidity. Now Brook presented 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 for survival, but for the entire innings.

Root provided his own masterful response, a victory for doing your homework, addressing your flaws.

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

Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? Not sure. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.