Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
