Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The elements, the time of day, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square 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 investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adjusting effectively. The top two individual innings were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, impetus when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. It's well deserved.
