Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – reading the wicket and adapting effectively. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have endured 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the end of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the turf to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. You've earned this one.
