In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 fans was hailed as a major hit.
It's possible you enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, acknowledging that some tracks are excellent while others are awful.
The point being is that amusement can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even the longest format.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the canvas on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Test of Cubism: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was an abstract version of cricket, the established format broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the Ashes battle.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball moves excessively for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience made during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the contest was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were unable from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about problem solving – reading the situation and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual innings were made by world-class batters. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, momentum when batters responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Range of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the excitement of a a non-event.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the range – one is not more ideal, yet historical weight can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," commented a past champion. "The people who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the lead-in to this Test, the skipper addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The squad delivered for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents performed with crucial roles. These are baby steps, certainly not enough to ensure long-term stability, but something to develop from.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd left into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Savour the moment, men. This victory was hard-fought.
