Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was seen as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. You might think he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, admitting that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on external factors.
The elements, the session, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the canvas on which the cricketers create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling because of the time committed during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The best individual innings were made by recognized stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands waved their flags and chanted, generating a carnival vibe in a stronghold of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when the top order responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and endless boredom. This recent match and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad protected him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
In the end, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the fans departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Enjoy the drink, men. This victory was hard-fought.
