Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
