In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a triumph.
You might not appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the pitch which produced a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the time made elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Some factors are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people celebrated and sang their songs, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the bowlers surged, impetus when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet value can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The players delivered for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team assembled on the field to begin their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
