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Finally, even the celebration was flawless, out there under that strange deep-blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely with reckless abandon at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. In the middle, the veteran batsman steered the ball away to fine leg to complete his first Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Consider trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, inspiring and cathartic, but subtly monumental.

A Milestone Frozen in Time

A man who already had 39 tons in this traditional format of a sport has now registered his 40th. But, trace the narrative, the skill, the jags in the road.

There will, of course, be much debate talk to be resolved. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he *Australian* great?

Yet there exists something deeper about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding rivalry. Any Australian who knows about cricket recognizes Root is a world-class cricketer.

Root's Century as a Reliable Anchor

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

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 brilliant one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.

It had to start with the team in deep trouble, and England’s key batter coming out at two wickets down for five runs. A chance was put down early in the slips.

The Contrast in the Crease

By mid-afternoon, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

At one end, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, lithe, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.

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

A Reckless Stroke

Should one attack this threat? Yep. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

The delivery to Brook was full, the edge thick. There is no world where this was a sensible choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its abjectness. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Quiet Rebuke

Thus 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 quiet rebuke, a victory for preparation, addressing your flaws.

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

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