In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
