Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
