Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 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 suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
