Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, impetus when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
