In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are small positives, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
