In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create music or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding effectively. The top two individual scores were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
