Within a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of fans was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music the world has ever seen. You might take a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some hits are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is a form of art, the wicket is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport dismantled and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a justification of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the investment devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the balance was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the best players were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the conditions and responding effectively. The top two individual innings were made by recognized stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the victory was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more the standard, yet significance can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the Ashes contest, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"It's not the end of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the lead-in to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
