In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
