In a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the time of day, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is a form of art, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither perfect, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad congregated on the field to commence their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. It's well deserved.
