Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a success.
You might not appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are poor.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the blank slate on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order responded, and pure joy when the result was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a grind, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to them.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but something to develop from.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
