Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
