Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
