Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate 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 tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
