In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
