Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
