In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
