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Ultimately, the very celebration was flawless, out there under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the match situation – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away death cult-style at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. Amidst it all, Joe Root steered the ball away to fine leg to notch his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.

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

An Achievement Preserved in Its Own Light

A man who already had 39 tons in this traditional format of a sport has now registered his fortieth. However, trace the story, the artistry, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be a lot of discussion stuff to be resolved. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

But there is something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Any Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a great cricketer.

Root's Century as a Sturdy Foundation

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

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did.

This was not merely a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that may 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 a dire 5 for 2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Crease

As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

At one end, Root was playing his natural game, relaxed, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Damaging Stroke

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

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

It was at least novel in its abjectness. We have seen England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran's Steady Response

Therefore one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for everyone else’s too.

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

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

Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root did score a hundred.