Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
