Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
