In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 attendees was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reassembled in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Having excessive grass on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are accepted more easily than others.
The argument in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, fostering a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side surged, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a damp squib.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the field to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
