Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
