Within a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the another short match of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of 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 notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with minimal action and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
