Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
