Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
