Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
