In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
