In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
