Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
