Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized players. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "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 lead-in to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a beautiful night, the team congregated on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
