Within a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
