In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
