Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
