Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
