In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
