Displayed inside a showcase on the third floor of the MCG is housed a neon pink outfit worn by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of 100,024 fans was considered a success.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, acknowledging that some hits are fantastic while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the playing is so reliant upon the environment.
The climate, the session, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the wicket.
If Test cricket is a form of art, the wicket is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the wicket which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the series.
Leaving excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in a cascade of wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and counting. On occasion, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the seamers. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are particularly captivating because of the patience committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Certain variables are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the skilled individuals were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – assessing the situation and adjusting appropriately. The best individual scores were made by recognized stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this lacked spectacle.
In a corner of the stadium, countless fans celebrated and sang their songs, fostering a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, advantage when players fought back, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. In the past, a match there featured a pitch with the character of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the range – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to them.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"It's not the end of the format at all," said a veteran. "Spectators who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his back.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces performed with vital performances. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to secure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
In the end, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in meaningless games.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own celebrations.
Enjoy the drink, boys. You've earned this one.
