Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
