Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when the top order responded, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
