In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature 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 wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
