Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and responding accordingly. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players protected him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
