In a glass case on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the time committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
