In a display cabinet on the upper level of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was hailed as a triumph.
Perhaps you don't like Robbie Williams. You might think he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a reasonable stance, admitting that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce art or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by external factors.
The elements, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If Test cricket is art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which yielded a triumph and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating owing to the patience made elsewhere.
Adjustment: The True Test
Some factors are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the conditions and adapting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, a sea of people waved their flags and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers dominated, impetus when batters fought back, and pure joy when the win was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That fixture was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Fans who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team protected him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Different players performed with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the supporters left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. You've earned this one.
