Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
