In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting because of the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
