Finally, the moment of celebration was ideal, under lights under that unique intense blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the match situation – hyper Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away in a do-or-die manner at the other end.
Right. All that drama. At the heart, Joe Root eased the ball away to fine leg to notch 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, inspiring and cathartic, but quietly epic.
A batsman who already possessed thirty-nine hundreds in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now registered his fortieth. However, follow the narrative, the craft, the twists and turns.
There'll, of course, be plenty of discussion stuff to be resolved. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats?
However, there is something further about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning rivalry. Every Australian who understands cricket is well aware Root is a world-class cricketer.
Root’s hundred felt meaningful in other ways, not least as something concrete in the series for this team, a handhold in the glacier.
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 superb one in genuinely tough conditions, an innings that could have saved his team in this series.
The innings commenced with the wings already falling off, and England’s key batter coming out at two wickets down for five runs. A chance was put down early in the slips.
As the day progressed, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.
At one end, Root was playing his natural game, easy, lithe, alert. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who urgently requires the bathroom.
Throughout, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the key spell of the day.
Is it wise to challenge this? 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 good choice.
It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
Therefore one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for everyone else’s too.
He delivered his own masterful response, a triumph for preparation, correcting your flaws.
The tourists are still in this series because he did the thing, provided a lesson in what talent in the end means.
Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? Not sure. But Joe Root made a hundred.
Elara is a passionate writer and photographer who shares insights on creativity and mindful living through engaging storytelling.
