Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit performed in by the entertainer. The concert in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the fielding side excelled, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not the standard, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
