In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a success.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
