In a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was seen as a triumph.
It's possible you appreciate his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that entertainment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts incomparable variety. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The weather, the time of day, the red ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and reassembled in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and ongoing. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating due to the patience devoted in other matches.
Adjustment: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – interpreting the wicket and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has a history with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a game there featured a pitch with all the life of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with minimal action and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the scale – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"Far from being the death of the format at all," said a past champion. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader spoke like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The team responded for him, restoring the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term success, but something to build on.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the team gathered on the turf to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
