In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
