Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
