Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
