'Was That Not a Show?' The Reason a Shortened Fixture Remained Every Bit a Proper Cricket Test.
In a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the spectrum – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
At this stage into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad congregated on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.