In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was seen as a success.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
