In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
