Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: 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 mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, 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 collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
