Within a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a success.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format broken apart and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the surface, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, a long history and still growing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the contest was weighted unfairly towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about finding solutions – assessing the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the supporters who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the win was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad protected him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players performed with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team congregated on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, lads. It's well deserved.
