In a glass case on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of spectators was hailed as a success.
It's possible you appreciate the performer. You might think he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, admitting that some songs are excellent while others are terrible.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no one way to craft literature or even Test cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The climate, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Above all is the pitch.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the great game broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
Let's be clear, this isn't a defence of the wicket which produced a triumph and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, causing 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a inferior show, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, a long history and ongoing. At times, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the pace bowlers. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the time committed in other matches.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more easily than others.
The argument in at the MCG was that the equilibrium was tipped too far towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – reading the conditions and adjusting accordingly. The best individual innings were made by acknowledged stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
Among the crowd of the MCG, countless fans celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the bowlers excelled, advantage when batters responded, and pure joy when the victory was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with minimal action and slow play. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – both are not ideal, yet significance can be found in both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the quick finishes that will live longest in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these 48 hours have been given some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the leader spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win takes its place among other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players assembled on the outfield to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
