In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
