In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
