In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence 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 rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
