In a display cabinet on the third floor of the iconic Melbourne stadium rests a vibrant pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His concert in front of a massive crowd of spectators was seen as a success.
It's possible you appreciate Robbie Williams. You might think he is the greatest gift to music in history. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are fantastic while others are poor.
The central idea is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is no one way to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The five-day game boasts unrivalled depth. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on external factors.
The climate, the time of day, the red ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the strip is the canvas on which the athletes create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reassembled in a bizarre shape.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a win and the another sub-three-day finish of the series.
Leaving a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets being taken in less than a brief period, is not a fair contest between bat and ball.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. At other venues, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it bounces unevenly.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment devoted during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Specific conditions are embraced more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was skewed excessively towards the bowlers. That the best players were prevented from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the wicket and adapting appropriately. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team committed more errors than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced a long drought that this was not entertaining.
In a corner of the ground, thousands waved their flags and sang their songs, fostering a carnival vibe in a heartland of sport.
There was hope as the fielding side dominated, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was confirmed.
Extreme Ends: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has a history with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with all the life of a a non-event.
That match was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. The latest encounter and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither 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 history books.
"This isn't the end of the long game at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Baby Steps: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the skipper spoke like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The team delivered for him, reinstating the smile to his countenance.
Emerging talents performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph is added to other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters departed into a beautiful night, the squad gathered on the outfield to start their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. It's well deserved.
