In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
