Sublime Root Revels in Australian Glory at Last but Brook’s Folly May Be Costly
Finally, the moment of celebration was flawless, under lights under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, in the frenzy of the game-state – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order cutting loose death cult-style at the other end.
Indeed. All of that. In the middle, the former captain guided the ball away through fine leg to notch his first Test hundred in Australia.
But, then if you know, you know. Consider trying to explain the reason this was not just heartwarming, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental.
An Achievement Preserved in Time
A man who already possessed 39 centuries in this rigorous discipline of a sport has now scored his fortieth. But, consider the journey, the artistry, the twists and turns.
There will, of course, be a lot of discussion talk to be hashed out. Is Joe Root finally great? Is he considered great by Australian standards?
But there is something more about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about one-upmanship. Every Australian who knows about cricket already knows Root is a great cricketer.
The Captain's Century as a Reliable Anchor
The century felt significant in other ways, especially as something concrete in the series for this team, a foothold in the glacier.
Can England secure victory at the Gabba? It's unclear. But Joe Root got a hundred. Did Harry Brook play... the worst shot yet? Yes. He did.
And not just a hundred in Australia, but a outstanding one in genuinely 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 premier batsman coming out at a dire 5 for 2. Root was dropped early in the slips.
The Dichotomy in the Middle
As the day progressed, England were 175 for three. Two versions of elite Yorkshire grit at the crease.
At one end, Root was playing his natural game, easy, graceful, alert. Meanwhile, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.
Meanwhile, a dusk was coming, the shadows creeping across the ground, and Mitchell Starc revving up for the pivotal spell of the day.
A Costly Choice
Do you run towards this danger? Yep. No settling in, no feet. Just a flash of the bat first up.
The delivery to Brook was full, the edge healthy. There is no context where this was a sensible choice.
It was, if nothing else, novel in its complete misjudgment. We've witnessed England bat in Australia without fluidity. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
Root's Quiet Rebuke
And so one half of this England team continued to collapse, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for everyone else’s too.
He offered his own quiet rebuke, a victory for diligence, correcting your flaws.
The tourists are still in this series because he scaled the peak, offered a lesson in what skill in the end means.
Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? Not sure. But Joe Root did score a hundred.
