Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
