Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
