Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
