In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
You might not appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
