Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
