Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
