In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
