Within a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
