Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack dominated, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
