Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the attack surged, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
