Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
