In a showcase on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
It's possible you like his music. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to create music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Crucially is the wicket.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the patience made in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by recognized batters. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the MCG, thousands waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, advantage when players scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was confirmed.
Contrasting Examples: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither perfect, yet value can be attached to each.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team protected him, reinstating the smile to his persona.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the field to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
