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In the end, the very celebration was flawless, out there under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – hyper Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Indeed. All of that. At the heart, the former captain eased the ball away past fine leg to notch his maiden Test hundred in Australia.

But, then if you know, you know. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than warm, uplifting and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Milestone Preserved in Time

A man who already had thirty-nine centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his fortieth. However, trace the story, the skill, the twists and turns.

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

However, there is something more about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding one-upmanship. Every Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a exceptional cricketer.

The Captain's Century as a Solid Foundation

Root’s hundred felt significant in other ways, not least as something concrete in the series for this team, a foothold in the ice.

Will England triumph 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 outstanding one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.

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

The Dichotomy in the Middle

As the day progressed, England were 3/175. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.

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

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

A Costly Decision

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

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

It was at least novel in its utter failure. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

The Veteran'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 the entire innings.

He delivered his own subtle correction, a triumph for doing your homework, addressing your flaws.

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

Can they dismiss Australia? Are they going to learn? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root made a hundred.