Within a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, a long history and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding effectively. The best individual scores were made by acknowledged batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with pitch problems. In the past, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
