In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
