Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, 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 pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
