Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink suit performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling 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 inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
