In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to create music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when batters responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
