Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
