In a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
