In a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adapting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a Test there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
