Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, generating a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more perfect, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
