Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
