In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and responding effectively. The best individual innings were made by world-class stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be attached to them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
