In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the range – both are not ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
