Within a glass case on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground is housed a electric pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the playing surface.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding effectively. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this match, the captain spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
