In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by world-class batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this Melbourne victory is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
