Within a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink suit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
