In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
