Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment made in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
