Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 spectators was considered a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some songs are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another short match of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling 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 lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time made in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the fans who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack excelled, impetus when the top order responded, and unconditional love when the win was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – both are not the standard, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
