Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the time made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from showcasing their talents.
The format is about finding solutions – assessing the situation and responding effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"It's not the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The players delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
