Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present 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. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
