Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
