Displayed inside a display cabinet on the third floor of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a hundred thousand spectators was hailed as a success.
Perhaps you don't appreciate the performer. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music known to man. You might take a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The central idea is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Tastes vary. There is not a single method to produce literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon conditions.
The climate, the hour of play, the ball – the variables are numerous. Crucially is the playing surface.
If the format is art, the strip is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the great game taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a defence of the surface which produced a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Having 10mm of grass on the pitch, leading to numerous dismissals being taken in less than two days, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, a long history and counting. At times, as witnessed recently, the cricket ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it turns square on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are even more exciting due to the time devoted during quieter periods.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – reading the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual contributions were made by world-class players. One team made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the fans who have endured years of defeat that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the stadium, thousands made noise and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was belief as the bowlers excelled, advantage when the top order scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has a history with pitch problems. In the past, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the scale – neither the standard, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Deep into the series into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"This isn't the death of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this match, the skipper talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his back.
The team delivered for him, restoring the smile to his face.
Different players delivered with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to develop from.
In the end, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans slipped away into a stunning sunset, the team assembled on the field to commence their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
