In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink outfit performed in by the entertainer. His show in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the surface which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals falling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, advantage when players responded, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – both are not perfect, yet value can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the long game at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
