Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," commented a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
At the very least, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
