Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
