In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
