Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
