In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.