In a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
