Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a major hit.
You might not appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
