Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
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 canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
