Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
