Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are belting while others are terrible.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is not a single method to craft art or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized players. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
