In a glass case on the elevated floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the wicket is the canvas on which the players craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the wicket, resulting in a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, thousands made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the victory was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet value can be attached to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents stepped up with key contributions. These are small positives, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the supporters slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
