Within a glass case on the elevated floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of 100,024 fans was considered a major hit.
You might not like the performer. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music in history. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some tracks are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft art or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so dictated by the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If the long game is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and stuck back together in an unusual manner.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which resulted in a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and ongoing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball moves excessively for the seamers. Sometimes, it turns square on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The close matches are particularly captivating because of the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in during the match was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and responding appropriately. The best individual contributions were made by world-class players. One side committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the fans who have experienced years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, generating a festive mood in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and pure joy when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with all the life of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. This recent match and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: A Glimmer of Hope
In the preparation to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The players protected him, reinstating the joy to his persona.
Different players delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, hardly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the field to begin their own festivities.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
