In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is a form of 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 the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class stars. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
