So long derided for his record in Australia, Root will leave the country having ticked every box bar one this summer, with an away Ashes series win still elusive.
Root shrugged to the crowd as he celebrated a heroic century in England's first innings at the SCG early on day two of the Ashes series finale.
The English No.4 played Michael Neser down the ground for two runs to reach triple figures just before drinks in the first session.
Root had memorably pulled out the same shrugging celebration when he broke through for a first ton in Australia under lights at the Gabba in the second Test.
Before this series, Root had carried the weight of expectation on his shoulders, having failed to score a century in his first 29 innings in Australia and winless in 17 Tests here.
Root had endured his fair share of physical pain in the battle to conquer his final frontier.
He was hospitalised with dehydration during the Sydney Test in the 2017/18 Ashes, and went for scans after wearing a delivery to his nether regions warming up to play at the Adelaide Oval in late 2021.
But the former captain will finish a happier fourth away Ashes series with two centuries, the only two of England's tour as of 12pm on day two of the series finale.
Root's SCG century was the 41st of his career, drawing him level with Australian legend Ricky Ponting as the third-most prolific centurion in Test history.
Only South African great Jacques Kallis (45) and Test cricket's "little master" Sachin Tendulkar (51) managed more.
Root's 24 Test centuries since the Covid-19 shutdown is twice as many as the next-most prolific batter, New Zealand's Kane Williamson (12).
With England's four-wicket win in the speedy MCG Test, Root also scored a first Test match win in Australia on his 18th attempt.
In the process, he helped England break its own drought that spanned more than 14 years.
The all-important away Ashes series win slipped from Root's grasp again; Australia retained the urn inside 11 days of cricket by winning the third Test of the five-match series.
It remains to be seen whether Root will still be playing over the 2029-30 summer, when England push for their first Ashes series win in Australia since 2010-11.
Root will turn 39 that December, and may have passed Tendulkar to become the leading run-scorer in Test history.
But if Root has pulled up stumps by then, this summer will end as comfortably his best tour to Australia, and that's nothing to shrug at.
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