Only Sachin Tendulkar ranks above Root on the all-time Test run scorers list, and the retired Indian's total of 15,921 runs now seems attainable for the 34-year-old Englishman.

Before this tour, Root's tally of 892 runs in 14 Tests in Australia at an average of 35.68 was respectable, and many of his fans felt his lack of a Test century Down Under was not a major issue.

However, some critics argued he needed to conquer his final challenge against England's fiercest rivals on their home turf.

Darren Lehmann, Australia's coach during their 5-0 Ashes sweep in 2013/14, stated Root had to score to be ranked among the "all-time greats" alongside India's Virat Kohli, Australia's Steve Smith, and New Zealand's Kane Williamson.

By reaching his 40th Test hundred off 181 balls at the Gabba on day one of the second Test, he has achieved just that.

The graceful Root represents a classic era of batting, an orthodox "touch" player who doesn’t rely on power hitting to accumulate runs quickly.

Former England captain Alastair Cook praised him as "England's finest" and a "genius" when Root surpassed Cook’s record of 33 Test centuries for England last year.

Another ex-captain, Nasser Hussain, described him as "England's once-in-a-generation batting talent" with the bat.

Root played for Sheffield Collegiate, the same club as Michael Vaughan, and followed the former England captain into Yorkshire’s first team.

Former England spinner Graeme Swann compared the youthful batsman to a team mascot when he joined England in 2012, but Root took his opportunity with a patient 73 from 229 balls against India in the final Test at Nagpur.

He scored his first Test hundred the following year against New Zealand at Headingley, his home ground, before making 180 — his maiden Ashes century — at Lord’s two months later.

Root’s form declined during the 2013/14 Ashes tour in Australia, which ended in a 5-0 defeat, and he was dropped for the fifth Test in Sydney.

However, he bounced back impressively at home with a double century against Sri Lanka at Lord’s followed by two centuries against India.

Runs have come steadily for the Yorkshireman despite occasional concerns, now mostly forgotten, about his conversion rate — how often he turns fifties into hundreds.

Root, who has also claimed 73 Test wickets with his spin bowling, succeeded Cook — the only other England batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs — as captain in 2017.

He went on to captain England in more Tests (64) and secure more wins (27) than any predecessor but led a team facing difficulties.

He maintained high batting standards while captain, notably in 2021 when he scored 1,708 runs at an average of 61 and was named Test Cricketer of the Year.

Root’s captaincy ended in disappointment in April 2022 after managing only one win in 17 matches, with Ben Stokes taking over.

Since then, the former skipper has been vital under Stokes, regularly scoring centuries freed from captaincy pressures.

Root has sometimes struggled when adopting a riskier approach in the aggressive "Bazball" style under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

Nonetheless, he mostly sticks to his own method, a rare talent for keeping the scoreboard moving through classical, relatively safe batting.

Root’s Test batting average exceeds 50, a hallmark of an all-time great, and he remains a key player in England’s one-day squad.

While he still has a long way to go to surpass Tendulkar, few doubt his determination and skill to finish his career among the very best.