In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions 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
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
