Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a success.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are even more exciting because of the investment made in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, restoring the joy to his face.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
