In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
