In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
