In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink ensemble performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
You might not like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
