In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
