🔗 Share this article Sublime Joe Root Basks in Australian Glory at Long Last but Harry Brook's Mistake Might Prove Costly Finally, the very celebration was ideal, under lights under that strange intense blue southern sky, within the tumult of the contest – frantic Baz energy, the English lower order cutting loose in a do-or-die manner at the other end. Right. All that drama. At the heart, the veteran batsman guided the ball away through fine leg to complete 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 not just heartwarming, inspiring and cleansing, but quietly epic. A Moment Caught in Time A man who already possessed 39 centuries in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now registered his fortieth. However, trace the narrative, the artistry, the jags in the road. There will, of course, be plenty of banter-war material to be settled. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Is he considered great by Australian standards? Yet there exists something deeper about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Any Australian who cares for cricket already knows Root is a exceptional cricketer. The Captain's Hundred as a Solid Handhold The century felt significant in other ways, especially as something solid 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. 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 might just have saved his team in this series. It began with the team in deep trouble, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at a dire 5 for 2. Root was dropped early in the slips. The Juxtaposition in the Crease As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease. At one end, Root was playing his natural game, relaxed, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom. Throughout, a dusk was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the key spell of the day. A Reckless Decision Is it wise to challenge this? Yes. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up. The ball to Brook was full-length, the edge thick. There is no context where this was a good choice. It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We have seen England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain. The Veteran's Steady Rebuke Therefore one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings. He offered his own subtle correction, a victory for preparation, addressing your flaws. England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, delivered a lesson in what skill ultimately means. Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? Uncertain. But Joe Root did score a hundred.