Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed 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.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither ideal, yet historical weight can be found in them.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players protected him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
