In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature 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 outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
