In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
