🔗 Share this article Majestic Joe Root Basks in Australian Triumph at Finally but Brook’s Mistake Might Prove Costly Ultimately, the very celebration was ideal, on the field under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the game-state – frantic Baz energy, England’s lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end. Indeed. All of that. Amidst it all, the veteran batsman guided the ball away through fine leg to complete his first Test hundred in Australia. However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Consider trying to explain why this was not just heartwarming, inspiring and cathartic, but subtly monumental. A Milestone Preserved in Its Own Light A player who already possessed thirty-nine hundreds in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now scored his fortieth. However, consider the journey, the artistry, the setbacks. There will, of course, be plenty of debate material to be settled. Is Joe Root finally great? Does he now rank among Australian greats? But there is something further about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about rivalry. Every Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a exceptional cricketer. Root's Century as a Sturdy Handhold This ton felt important in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a foothold in the glacier. Will England triumph at the Gabba? Uncertain. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? 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. The innings commenced with the team in deep trouble, and England’s key batter coming out at 5/2. He was given a life early in the slips. The Juxtaposition in the Crease In the afternoon session, England were 3/175. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire-dom at the crease. On one side, Root was simply being himself, easy, graceful, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom. Throughout, a darkness was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius revving up for the crucial spell of the day. A Damaging Decision Is it wise to challenge this? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up. The delivery to Brook was full-length, the edge clear. There is no scenario where this was a smart choice. It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We have seen England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain. Root's Steady Answer Therefore one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for everyone else’s too. He offered his own subtle correction, a triumph for doing your homework, correcting your flaws. England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, provided a lesson in what skill ultimately means. Are they going to bowl Australia out? Can they evolve? Uncertain. But Joe Root made a hundred.