In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
