In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of attendees was considered a success.
You might not like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and reconstructed in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the surface which yielded a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting due to the patience devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about finding solutions – interpreting the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers dominated, impetus when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the win was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this match, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters slipped away into a beautiful night, the players gathered on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. You've earned this one.
