Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
