Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, 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 marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
