In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
