Within a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
