Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, 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 two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the investment made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side 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 wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
