Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said 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: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
