Within a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a triumph.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some songs are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
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 stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the seamers. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling owing to the investment made elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the top batters were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The two highest individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the attack dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that slow Test are polar opposites of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet significance can be attached to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players protected him, restoring the joy to his face.
Emerging talents performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but something to develop from.
In the end, this triumph joins other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
