In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit donned by the pop star. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
