Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
