Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
