Sublime Joe Root Revels in Australian Glory at Finally but Harry Brook's Folly May Come at a Price
Finally, the moment of celebration was flawless, under lights under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, within the tumult of the game-state – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order swinging freely in a do-or-die manner at the other end.
Right. All that drama. Amidst it all, Joe Root steered the ball away to fine leg to complete his long-awaited Test hundred in Australia.
But, then if you know, you know. Imagine trying to explain why this was more than heartwarming, inspiring and cathartic, but profoundly significant.
An Achievement Preserved in Time
A man who already possessed thirty-nine hundreds in this traditional format of a sport has now compiled his fortieth. However, trace the narrative, the skill, the twists and turns.
There'll, of course, be much debate stuff to be hashed out. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Does he now rank among Australian greats?
Yet there exists something more about hoping for Root to be great in Australia. This isn't concerning point-scoring. Any Australian who knows about cricket is well aware Root is a great cricketer.
The Captain's Hundred as a Solid Anchor
The century felt significant in other ways, not least as something tangible in the series for this team, a handhold in the glacier.
Will England triumph at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 authentically tough conditions, an innings that might just have saved his team in this series.
It began with the wings already falling off, and England’s greatest modern player coming out at 5/2. Root was dropped early in the slips.
The Contrast in the Middle
By mid-afternoon, England were 175 for three. 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 urgently requires the bathroom.
Throughout, a gloom was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc preparing for the key spell of the day.
A Damaging Choice
Should one attack this threat? Yes. No settling in, no feet. Just a reckless waft first up.
The delivery 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 utter failure. We've witnessed England bat in Australia like the Tin Man. This was Brook as the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
Root's Steady Response
Thus one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted not just for his life, but for the entire innings.
He offered his own quiet rebuke, a triumph for diligence, working at your flaws.
England are still in this series because he scaled the peak, delivered a lesson in what talent truly means.
Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.
