In a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
