Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
