In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts 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 all the more thrilling owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
