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In the end, even the celebration was flawless, under lights under that strange vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the contest – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. At the heart, Joe Root steered the ball away through fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Consider trying to explain the reason this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental.

A Milestone Frozen in Its Own Light

A man who already had 39 centuries in this traditional format of a sport has now compiled his 40th. But, consider the journey, the skill, the jags in the road.

There will, of course, be much debate talk to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

Yet there exists something deeper about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Any Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a exceptional cricketer.

Root's Century as a Sturdy Foundation

The century felt significant in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the difficulty.

Can England secure victory at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook play... the worst shot yet? Yes. He did.

This was not merely a hundred in Australia, but a brilliant one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

It had to start with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s key batter coming out at 5/2. He was given a life early in the slips.

The Juxtaposition in the Middle

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

On one side, Root was simply being himself, relaxed, graceful, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a darkness 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? Apparently so. No settling in, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

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

It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Quiet Rebuke

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

Root provided his own subtle correction, a triumph for diligence, addressing your flaws.

England are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, provided a lesson in what skill truly means.

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