Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
