Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
