Displayed inside a glass case on the third floor of the MCG is housed a vibrant pink suit donned by Robbie Williams. The show in front of a massive crowd of fans was considered a success.
Perhaps you don't like the performer. You might think he is the finest offering to music known to man. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some songs are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can take many forms. Tastes vary. There is no universal formula to produce literature or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of Test Cricket
The traditional format boasts incomparable variety. It is hard to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The climate, the session, the red ball – the list is endless. Most important is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the cricketers create their art.
An Abstract Contest: The Fourth Test
The Boxing Day fixture between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
It must be stated this is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Having a thick layer on the pitch, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Rich Tapestry: The Core of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a diminished spectacle, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is mistaken.
The format is a diverse canvas, a long history and counting. Sometimes, like in Melbourne, the ball moves excessively for the fast men. Other times, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it explodes.
The thrillers are even more exciting owing to the patience committed during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The True Test
Certain variables are tolerated more freely than others.
The contention in during the match was that the contest was tipped too far towards the fielding side. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
Test cricket is about problem solving – assessing the conditions and adapting effectively. The top two individual scores were made by recognized batters. One side made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Unbridled Joy: The Supporters' View
Go and inform the supporters who have suffered 18 winless matches that this was not entertaining.
In one section of the ground, countless fans celebrated and chanted, fostering a festive mood in a stronghold of sport.
There was belief as the fielding side surged, advantage when batters scored quickly, and unconditional love when the result was achieved.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The MCG has previous experience with difficult wickets. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. The two-day game and that slow Test are extreme ends of the spectrum – one is not more ideal, yet value can be ascribed to both.
At this stage into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will be most remembered in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the demise of the long game at all," observed a former player. "The people who have been fortunate to see these short time have been given some real entertainment. Different entertainment."
Small Victories: Building for the Future
In the build-up to this match, the leader talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the joy to his countenance.
Different players stepped up with key contributions. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but a foundation to build on.
In the end, this Melbourne victory joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the team congregated on the field to commence their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, men. It's well deserved.
