In a display cabinet on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a vibrant pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand attendees was considered a major hit.
You might not like the performer. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the playing is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the time of day, the cricket ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the playing surface.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in an unusual manner.
This is not a defence of the wicket which resulted in a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals tumbling in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the investment devoted elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged batters. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the fans who have experienced a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the ground, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a carnival vibe in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers dominated, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a pitch with all the life of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that previous match are extreme ends of the scale – both are not ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," said a past champion. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been experienced some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the joy to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to secure long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this Melbourne victory takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a beautiful night, the squad congregated on the field to start their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, boys. It's well deserved.
