Magnificent Joe Root Glories in Aussie Glory at Long Last but Brook’s Folly Might Come at a Price
Finally, the moment of celebration was ideal, under lights under that unusual vivid blue southern sky, amid the chaos of the match situation – manic Baz energy, England’s lower order scything away in a do-or-die manner at the other end.
So yeah. All that stuff. Amidst it all, the former captain eased 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 the reason this was more than warm, uplifting and cleansing, but subtly monumental.
A Milestone Frozen in Time
A player who already had thirty-nine centuries in this starchy formal dance of a sport has now scored his fortieth. But, follow the journey, the craft, the jags in the road.
There'll, of course, be much banter-war material to be resolved. Has Joe Root finally achieved greatness? Does he now rank among Australian greats?
Yet there exists something deeper about wishing for Root to be great in Australia. It’s not about rivalry. Any Australian who understands cricket already knows Root is a great cricketer.
The Captain's Century as a Sturdy Anchor
This ton felt important in other ways, particularly as something tangible in the series for this team, a anchor in the difficulty.
Are England going to win at the Gabba? It's unclear. 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 brilliant one in genuinely 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
As the day progressed, England were 3/175. Two embodiments of elite Yorkshire batting at the crease.
At one end, Root was playing his natural game, easy, lithe, watchful. At the other, Brook was batting like a man who desperately needs the bathroom.
All the while, a gloom was coming, shadows creeping across the ground, and the swing maestro revving up for the crucial spell of the day.
A Reckless Stroke
Should one attack this threat? Yes. No settling in, no feet. Just throw the hands at it first up.
The ball to Brook was full-length, the edge healthy. There is no world where this was a smart choice.
It was, if nothing else, novel in its utter failure. We have seen England bat in Australia like a rusted machine. Now Brook presented the scarecrow, batting without a brain.
The Veteran's Silent Rebuke
Thus one half of this England team persisted in failing, while at the other end Root batted for survival, but for everyone else’s too.
He delivered his own masterful response, a victory for diligence, correcting your flaws.
England are still in this series because he achieved the milestone, delivered a lesson in what skill truly means.
Will they take twenty wickets? Are they going to learn? It remains to be seen. But Joe Root compiled a hundred.