In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
