In a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG rests a neon pink suit worn by the entertainer. The concert in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a success.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a reasonable stance, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The central idea is that enjoyment can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft art or even five-day cricket.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
The five-day game boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the variables are numerous. Most important is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the blank slate on which the cricketers craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the surface which produced a triumph and the another short match of the Ashes battle.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, causing a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling owing to the patience committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
The format is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Supporters' View
Attempt to convince the devotees who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the bowlers surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the win was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. In the past, a game there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a grind, with minimal action and slow play. The two-day game and that previous match are polar opposites of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be attached to both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the history books.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a past champion. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. A unique show."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The team protected him, bringing back the smile to his face.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but a foundation to build on.
At the very least, this MCG win is added to other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the outfield to begin their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, men. You've earned this one.
