In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the attack excelled, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – neither ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
