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In the end, even the celebration was ideal, under lights under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the contest – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end.

Right. All that drama. In the middle, Joe Root eased the ball away past fine leg to secure his first Test hundred in Australia.

Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Consider trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cathartic, but quietly epic.

A Moment Frozen in Time

A player who already had 39 hundreds in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now registered his 40th. However, trace the journey, the skill, the twists and turns.

There'll, of course, be much discussion talk to be resolved. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards?

However, there is something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning rivalry. Any Australian who knows about cricket recognizes Root is a exceptional cricketer.

The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Handhold

The century felt meaningful in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a anchor in the glacier.

Are England going to win at the Gabba? Don’t know. 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 brilliant one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that may have saved his team in this series.

It had to start 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 Middle

As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.

At one end, Root was exuding calm, relaxed, graceful, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.

Throughout, a dusk was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius revving up for the pivotal spell of the day.

A Costly Stroke

Should one attack this threat? Yep. No sighters, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.

The ball to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no scenario where this was a good choice.

It was, if nothing else, novel in its abjectness. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain.

Root's Steady Rebuke

Therefore one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings.

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

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

Can they dismiss Australia? Can they evolve? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root did score a hundred.