Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
