In a showcase on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a neon pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The format is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
