In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: 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 long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
