Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
