In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
