In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
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 the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling 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 lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily 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 showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
