Displayed inside a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand spectators was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more freely than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual scores were made by world-class players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a grind, with limited drama and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet value can be attached to them.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the demise of Test cricket at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the joy to his face.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team assembled on the turf to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
