In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more easily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, advantage when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," observed a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
