Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
