In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
