Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, 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 the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
