Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
