In a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
