Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
