'Did It Not Captivate?' Why a Shortened Test Deserved Its Status as a Authentic Test.
Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a success.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a middle ground, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the field to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.