Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of fans was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting 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 Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the strip is the canvas on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the pitch which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it turns square on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual scores were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and chanted, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a wicket 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 extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, restoring the smile to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
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 team assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
