In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.