Within a display cabinet on the elevated floor of the MCG rests a electric pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was seen as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. You might take a middle ground, conceding that some tracks are excellent while others are terrible.
The central idea is that amusement can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no one way to create art or even Test cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which yielded a win and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the balance was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – interpreting the situation and responding accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the MCG, thousands made noise and chanted, generating a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when players fought back, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a game there featured a wicket with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That fixture was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his countenance.
Different players delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but a starting point to develop from.
At the very least, this Melbourne victory is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the field to begin their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, lads. You've earned this one.
