Displayed inside a display cabinet on the upper level of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a electric pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you like the performer. Perhaps you believe he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to create art or even the longest format.
The Incomparable Variety of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was the game deconstructed, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
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 pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a diverse canvas, a long history and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are particularly captivating owing to the investment devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The debate in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the ground, thousands waved their flags and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when players responded, and unconditional love when the victory was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. In the past, a game there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That fixture was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. This recent match and that previous match are polar opposites of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet significance can be attached to each.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"It's not the death of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been treated to some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are small positives, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this MCG win joins other historic performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the outfield to start their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
