Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
