In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
