🔗 Share this article Magnificent Root Revels in Australian Glory at Finally but Brook’s Mistake May Come at a Price In the end, even the celebration was ideal, under lights under that unusual intense blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order swinging freely death cult-style at the other end. So yeah. All that stuff. In the middle, the former captain eased the ball away through fine leg to secure his maiden Test hundred in Australia. Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Consider trying to explain the reason this was not just warm, inspiring and cathartic, but subtly monumental. A Moment Preserved in Time A player who already possessed 39 tons in this traditional format of a sport has now registered his 40th. However, follow the journey, the skill, the setbacks. There'll, of course, be a lot of discussion material to be settled. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he *Australian* great? But there is something deeper about wanting Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Every Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a exceptional cricketer. The Captain's Hundred as a Sturdy Handhold This ton felt significant in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the ice. Will England triumph at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Was Harry Brook's dismissal the poorest shot? Yes. He did. This was not merely 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 began with the early wickets tumbling, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at a dire 5 for 2. Root was dropped early in the slips. The Contrast in the Middle As the day progressed, England were 3/175. Two examples of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease. On one side, Root was exuding calm, easy, lithe, watchful. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom. Throughout, a dusk was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro revving up for the crucial spell of the day. A Reckless Choice Should one attack this threat? Yes. No settling in, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up. The ball to Brook was full-length, the edge clear. There is no context where this was a sensible choice. It was at least novel in its complete misjudgment. We have seen England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain. The Veteran'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 the team's cause. He offered his own subtle correction, a victory for preparation, correcting your flaws. England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, offered a lesson in what ability ultimately means. Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? Uncertain. But Joe Root did score a hundred.