🔗 Share this article Majestic Root Revels in Australian Triumph at Long Last but Brook’s Folly Might Be Costly Ultimately, the moment of celebration was perfect, under lights under that unique intense blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – hyper Baz energy, England’s lower order swinging freely death cult-style at the other end. Right. All that drama. At the heart, the former captain guided the ball away through fine leg to complete his first Test hundred in Australia. However, for those who understand, the significance is clear. Picture trying to explain why this was more than warm, uplifting and cathartic, but profoundly significant. A Milestone Preserved in Its Own Light A batsman who already had thirty-nine tons in this traditional format of a sport has now compiled his 40th. However, follow the journey, the skill, the jags in the road. There will, of course, be much discussion stuff to be settled. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards? But there is something further about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It isn't regarding point-scoring. Any Australian who understands cricket already knows Root is a exceptional cricketer. The Captain's Hundred as a Reliable Handhold The century felt important in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a anchor in the glacier. Can England secure victory at the Gabba? Don’t know. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook produce a disastrous stroke? Yes. He did. And not just a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in authentically tough conditions, an innings that may have saved his team in this series. The innings commenced with the wings already falling off, and England’s key batter coming out at a dire 5 for 2. A chance was put down early in the slips. The Juxtaposition in the Middle In the afternoon session, England were in a reasonable position. Two examples of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease. At one end, Root was exuding calm, relaxed, lithe, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom. Meanwhile, a gloom was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the pink ball genius revving up for the crucial spell of the day. A Costly Choice Should one attack this threat? Apparently so. No sighters, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up. The ball to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no world where this was a smart choice. It was at least novel in its utter failure. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. This was Brook as 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 not just for his life, but for the team's cause. Root provided his own quiet rebuke, a victory for preparation, correcting your flaws. The tourists are still in this series because he scaled the peak, delivered a lesson in what ability in the end means. Can they dismiss Australia? Will they adapt? Uncertain. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.