In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. 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 even more exciting due to the time made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adapting accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the death of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
