In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a electric pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy the performer. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, conceding 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 one way to create art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The elements, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the strip is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the great game dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the surface, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. At times, like in Melbourne, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are all the more thrilling because of the time devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the attack. That the top batters were hindered from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and responding accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Try telling the supporters who have suffered a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, countless fans made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that slow Test are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the memory.
"Far from being the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The players delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
New faces stepped up with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the turf to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, lads. It's well deserved.
