Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to create music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters fought back, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
