In a showcase on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a triumph.
It's possible you like Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a middle ground, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the great game taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which yielded a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the surface, causing a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling owing to the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from showcasing their talents.
The format is about problem solving – reading the situation and responding appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and created an atmosphere, fostering a carnival vibe in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the fielding side excelled, advantage when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been experienced some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his shoulders.
The squad protected him, restoring the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory joins other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a beautiful night, the players assembled on the outfield to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
