Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. You've earned this one.
