Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
