In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
