In a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a electric pink outfit donned by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was seen as a success.
It's possible you like his music. You might think he is the greatest gift to music known to man. Or you could adopt a reasonable stance, acknowledging that some songs are belting while others are poor.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is not a single method to produce music or even Test cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Long Game
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. One struggles to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on conditions.
The elements, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Above all is the wicket.
If Test cricket is an artistic pursuit, the wicket is the foundation on which the players craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Melbourne Spectacle
The recent Melbourne match between Australia and England was an abstract version of cricket, the traditional sport broken apart and reconstructed in a bizarre shape.
This is not a defence of the pitch which produced a win and the second two-day Test of the series.
Allowing excessive grass on the surface, causing numerous dismissals tumbling in less than two days, is not an even battle between bat and ball.
A Diverse Legacy: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a rich tapestry, 2,615 parts and counting. At times, as seen at the MCG, the ball does all sorts for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The exciting finishes are all the more thrilling because of the patience made during quieter periods.
Problem Solving: The Real Challenge
Some factors are tolerated more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the balance was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the best players were hindered from playing their natural game.
This level of cricket is about adapting to challenges – assessing the conditions and responding accordingly. The top two individual innings were made by world-class stars. One team was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: The Fan Perspective
Attempt to convince the devotees who have endured a long drought that this lacked spectacle.
Among the crowd of the stadium, countless fans waved their flags and created an atmosphere, producing a party atmosphere in a bastion of national pride.
There was optimism as the attack surged, impetus when players fought back, and rapturous celebration when the victory was secured.
Contrasting Examples: The Range of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with pitch problems. Previously, a Test there featured a strip with the excitement of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a slog, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more perfect, yet historical weight can be ascribed to both.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the memory.
"Far from being the death of Test cricket at all," commented a past champion. "Spectators who have been fortunate to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Looking Ahead
In the lead-in to this Test, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The team delivered for him, bringing back the joy to his countenance.
New faces delivered with vital performances. These are baby steps, not nearly enough to ensure long-term success, but something to use as a platform.
At the very least, this triumph joins other notable performances in similar circumstances.
As the supporters left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the squad gathered on the field to start their own festivities.
Celebrate the win, lads. This victory was hard-fought.
