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Ultimately, the moment of celebration was ideal, out there under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely death cult-style at the other end.

So yeah. All that stuff. In the middle, Joe Root guided the ball away through 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 not just warm, inspiring and cleansing, but quietly epic.

A Moment Frozen in Time

A player who already possessed 39 centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now registered his fortieth. However, follow the journey, the artistry, the setbacks.

There'll, of course, be plenty of debate talk to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats?

Yet there exists something more about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding rivalry. Any Australian who knows about cricket is well aware Root is a world-class cricketer.

The Captain's Century as a Sturdy Handhold

Root’s hundred felt important in other ways, particularly as something concrete in the series for this team, a foothold in the ice.

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.

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

It began with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s key batter coming out at a dire 5 for 2. Root was dropped early in the slips.

The Dichotomy in the Crease

As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two examples of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease.

On one side, Root was simply being himself, easy, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Meanwhile, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius preparing for the key spell of the day.

A Costly Stroke

Do you run towards this danger? Apparently so. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.

The delivery to Brook was full-length, the edge clear. There is no scenario where this was a good choice.

It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook gave us the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Quiet Response

And so one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for everyone else’s too.

He offered his own subtle correction, a success for diligence, correcting your flaws.

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

Are they going to bowl Australia out? Will they adapt? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.