Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the time made in other matches.
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 top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players fought back, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in both.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
