In a showcase on the elevated floor of the Melbourne Cricket Ground rests a vibrant pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The concert in front of a massive crowd of attendees was hailed as a major hit.
You might not enjoy his music. Perhaps you believe he is the greatest gift to music in history. You might take a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The key argument is that entertainment can be delivered diversely. You like what you like. There is not a single method to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It's difficult to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the wicket.
If the format is an artistic pursuit, the pitch is the blank slate on which the players create their art.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport broken apart and stuck back together in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the another short match of the series.
Leaving 10mm of grass on the pitch, resulting in 36 wickets falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between batter and bowler.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any notion this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as illegitimate, is mistaken.
The format is a rich tapestry, over two thousand matches and still growing. On occasion, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it spins sharply on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are particularly captivating due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Specific conditions are embraced more easily than others.
The debate in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the fielding side. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
The format is about problem solving – reading the wicket and adjusting effectively. The best individual contributions were made by recognized stars. One line-up committed more errors than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Try telling the supporters who have endured a long drought that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the ground, countless fans waved their flags and chanted, producing a party atmosphere in a heartland of sport.
There was optimism as the bowlers excelled, momentum when batters fought back, and unconditional love when the result was secured.
Extreme Ends: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a wicket with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a slog, with few wickets and interminable tedium. The two-day game and that previous match are diametrically opposed points of the range – neither ideal, yet significance can be found in each.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will live longest in the history books.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," commented a veteran. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these 48 hours have been given some real entertainment. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The players responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his face.
Emerging talents delivered with vital performances. These are small positives, hardly enough to secure long-term futures, but a starting point to use as a platform.
In the end, this MCG win takes its place among other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd slipped away into a stunning sunset, the squad gathered on the turf to commence their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
