Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
