In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
