In a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
