Within a showcase on the upper level of the iconic Melbourne stadium sits a neon pink outfit performed in by Robbie Williams. The performance in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't appreciate Robbie Williams. Maybe you feel he is the finest offering to music the world has ever seen. You might take a balanced view, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The key argument is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to produce music or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of Test Cricket
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the cricket ball – the variables are numerous. Above all is the pitch.
If the format is art, the pitch is the blank slate on which the athletes paint their masterpiece.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between Australia and England was the game deconstructed, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
This is not a defence of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the another short match of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to 36 wickets being taken in less than six sessions, is not a fair contest between batter and bowler.
A Diverse Legacy: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as witnessed recently, the ball does all sorts for the pace bowlers. Other times, it turns square on a dry surface. Sometimes, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are all the more thrilling due to the investment committed elsewhere.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are accepted more freely than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the top batters were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The two highest individual scores were made by recognized batters. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus were defeated.
Unbridled Joy: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the devotees who have suffered years of defeat that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the MCG, a sea of people made noise and created an atmosphere, generating a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the fielding side dominated, advantage when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has form with controversial surfaces. Previously, a match there featured a strip with all the life of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – neither perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the memory.
"It's not the death of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Fans who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the heavy burden on his shoulders.
The squad responded for him, bringing back the smile to his persona.
Different players stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to guarantee long-term success, but a starting point to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other memorable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd departed into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Savour the moment, boys. This victory was hard-fought.
