Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which yielded a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans made noise and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, momentum when players fought back, and pure joy when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
