In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit donned by the entertainer. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet significance can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
