In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
