Within a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
