Within a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing a thick layer on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
