Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
