In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
