Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
