In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is no one way to create music or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes create their art.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having excessive grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as illegitimate, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball behaves unpredictably for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the time made in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Some factors are accepted 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 conditions and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual contributions were made by acknowledged stars. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people waved their flags and created an atmosphere, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of national pride.
There was hope as the fielding side surged, momentum when the top order scored quickly, and unconditional love when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," said a veteran. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with vital performances. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a starting point to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
