Displayed inside a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
