🔗 Share this article Magnificent Root Glories in Aussie Triumph at Last but Brook’s Folly Could Prove Costly Ultimately, the moment of celebration was flawless, on the field under that strange vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the match situation – hyper Baz energy, the English lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end. Right. All that drama. At the heart, the former captain steered the ball away to fine leg to secure his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia. Yet, the true meaning resonates with those who have followed the journey. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental. A Milestone Caught in Its Own Light A player who already had 39 centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now compiled his 40th. Yet, follow the narrative, the craft, the jags in the road. There will, of course, be plenty of discussion talk to be resolved. Does this cement Joe Root's greatness? Is he *Australian* great? However, there is something deeper about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding point-scoring. Any Australian who cares for cricket is well aware Root is a exceptional cricketer. Root's Hundred as a Solid Foundation The century felt significant in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a anchor in the ice. Will England triumph at the Gabba? Don’t know. 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 truly tough conditions, an innings that could 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. He was given a life early in the slips. The Juxtaposition in the Middle By mid-afternoon, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease. At one end, Root was playing his natural game, relaxed, graceful, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom. Throughout, a darkness was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro preparing for the pivotal spell of the day. A Damaging Stroke Do you run towards this danger? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just a reckless waft 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 like the Tin Man. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain. The Veteran's Steady Answer And so one half of this England team kept faltering, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for the team's cause. Root provided his own quiet rebuke, a success for preparation, correcting your flaws. The tourists are still in this series because he scaled the peak, provided a lesson in what talent in the end means. Are they going to bowl Australia out? Will they adapt? Uncertain. But Joe Root made a hundred.