In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the wicket which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
