Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
