Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
