In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink ensemble worn by the entertainer. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some hits are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Allowing a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the investment committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are accepted more readily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Try telling the devotees who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the ground, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, momentum when batters scored quickly, and pure joy when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a Test there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his countenance.
New faces performed with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other historic performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
