In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
