Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
