Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
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 not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when batters responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
