Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
