In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, 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 pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
