In a display cabinet on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the time committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and responding appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
