'Was That Not a Show?' Why a 48-Hour Match Was No Less a Genuine Test.
Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by the pop star. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The elements, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to start their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.