In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have endured 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these two days have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
