In the end, even the celebration was perfect, out there under that unusual deep-blue southern sky, within the tumult of the match situation – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely with reckless abandon at the other end.
Right. All that drama. At the heart, Joe Root guided the ball away past fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.
However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than warm, uplifting and cleansing, but profoundly significant.
An Achievement Caught in Its Own Light
A player who already had 39 tons in this traditional format of a sport has now scored his 40th. But, follow the journey, the craft, the jags in the road.
There'll, of course, be a lot of debate talk to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?
But there is something further about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Every Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a world-class cricketer.
Root's Hundred as a Solid Foundation
Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a foothold in the glacier.
Are England going to win at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 brilliant one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.
The innings commenced with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s key batter coming out at a dire 5 for 2. A chance was put down early in the slips.
The Dichotomy in the Middle
In the afternoon session, England were 175 for three. Two examples of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.
On one side, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.
Throughout, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the crucial spell of the day.
A Damaging Choice
Do you run towards this danger? Apparently so. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.
The delivery to Brook was full, the edge clear. There is no world where this was a smart choice.
It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
Root's Steady Answer
Therefore one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted with immense resolve, but for everyone else’s too.
Root provided his own quiet rebuke, a success for diligence, correcting your flaws.
The tourists are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, offered a lesson in what talent ultimately means.
Will they take twenty wickets? Can they evolve? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root did score a hundred.
