Displayed inside a glass case on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a vibrant pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate his music. Maybe you feel he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are awful.
The key argument is that amusement can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to create literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the established format dismantled and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the surface which resulted in a victory and the another sub-three-day finish of the contest.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets tumbling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is mistaken.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a spinning track. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting because of the patience devoted in other matches.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the attack. That the skilled individuals were prevented from showcasing their talents.
This level of cricket is about finding solutions – interpreting the wicket and responding appropriately. The best individual scores were made by world-class stars. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Pure Elation: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the devotees who have experienced 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In a corner of the MCG, thousands celebrated and sang their songs, producing a carnival vibe in a heartland of Australian cricket.
There was hope as the fielding side excelled, momentum when the top order fought back, and pure joy when the win was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with controversial surfaces. Previously, a Test there featured a pitch with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a slog, with few wickets and slow play. The two-day game and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the scale – neither the standard, yet significance can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the shortest games that will remain iconic in the history books.
"Far from being the demise of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been privileged to see these 48 hours have been given some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Small Victories: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain addressed the media like a man carrying the heavy burden on his mind.
The squad protected him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
New faces delivered with key contributions. These are small positives, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term futures, but something to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win is added to other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans departed into a stunning sunset, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. You've earned this one.
