In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling 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 notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet value can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
