In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet value can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
