In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
