Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
You might not like his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball â the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions â reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range â neither ideal, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
