Displayed inside a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
