Within a glass case on the third floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground sits a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a triumph.
It's possible you enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Alternatively, you may hold a middle ground, conceding that some hits are excellent while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can be delivered diversely. Preferences differ. There is no one way to craft literature or even the longest format.
The Peerless Spectrum of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the session, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the playing surface.
If the long game is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
An Abstract Contest: The Melbourne Spectacle
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reassembled in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a endorsement of the surface which resulted in a triumph and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having excessive grass on the wicket, leading to a cascade of wickets falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
Test cricket is a varied portfolio, over two thousand matches and still growing. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it grips and turns on a spinning track. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it explodes.
The close matches are even more exciting owing to the investment committed elsewhere.
Adjustment: The Core Skill
Specific conditions are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the wicket and adapting accordingly. The two highest individual contributions were made by recognized batters. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Unbridled Joy: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the devotees who have suffered a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, a sea of people made noise and sang their songs, producing a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was hope as the attack surged, impetus when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a wicket with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a grind, with few wickets and endless boredom. The two-day game and that drawn affair are diametrically opposed points of the scale – both are not ideal, yet significance can be ascribed to each.
Deep into the series into the current series, it is the quick finishes that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"Far from being the demise of the long game at all," said a former player. "Fans who have been lucky enough to see these short time have been treated to some real entertainment. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the skipper talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his back.
The squad protected him, bringing back the smile to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are baby steps, hardly enough to secure long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this triumph takes its place among other notable performances in dead rubbers.
As the crowd slipped away into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team gathered on the turf to start their own celebrations.
Celebrate the win, men. This victory was hard-fought.
