Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
