In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, advantage when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
