In a showcase on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the surface, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
