In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
