In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
