Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a triumph.
You might not like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet value can be attached to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the smile to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
