Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
