In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
