In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a hundred thousand fans was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the pitch which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and ongoing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have endured a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, impetus when players scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a grind, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the format at all," observed a veteran. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the players congregated on the field to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
