Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum 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 a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
