In a showcase on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
