In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, 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. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
