Within a glass case on the upper level of the MCG is housed a electric pink suit worn by Robbie Williams. His performance in front of 100,024 attendees was seen as a major hit.
You might not enjoy Robbie Williams. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music in history. Or you could adopt a middle ground, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are awful.
The point being is that enjoyment can manifest in countless ways. Preferences differ. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Incomparable Variety of The Test Format
The traditional format boasts peerless complexity. It is hard to think of another sport where the outcome is so reliant upon external factors.
The weather, the session, the cricket ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the format is art, the strip is the canvas on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Broken-Down Battle: The MCG Match
The Boxing Day fixture between the old rivals was Test cricket cubism, the established format taken to pieces and reconstructed in abstract form.
This is not a justification of the pitch which resulted in a victory and the another short match of the series.
Allowing 10mm of grass on the surface, leading to 36 wickets tumbling in less than a brief period, is not a balanced duel between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Core of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a lesser event, one that should be marked with an asterisk as not a proper Test, is wide of the mark.
The long game is a varied portfolio, 2,615 parts and counting. On occasion, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball does all sorts for the fast men. In contrast, it turns square on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is flat as a pancake, other times it spits like a cobra.
The thrillers are all the more thrilling due to the investment made during quieter periods.
Adaptation: The Real Challenge
Certain variables are embraced more readily than others.
The contention in at the MCG was that the contest was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the skilled individuals were prevented from playing their natural game.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the situation and adjusting accordingly. The two highest individual scores were made by acknowledged players. One side was less disciplined than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have endured 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
Among the crowd of the stadium, thousands celebrated and chanted, producing a festive mood in a bastion of national pride.
There was belief as the attack surged, momentum when players responded, and rapturous celebration when the result was achieved.
Contrasting Examples: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The MCG has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a match there featured a strip with the character of a a non-event.
That fixture was a marathon, with limited drama and endless boredom. This recent match and that slow Test are diametrically opposed points of the spectrum – one is not more the standard, yet historical weight can be found in both.
Four Tests into the current series, it is the shortest games that will be most remembered in the memory.
"This isn't the end of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "The people who have been lucky enough to see these two days have been given some fantastic sport. Different entertainment."
Baby Steps: Building for the Future
In the preparation to this Test, the leader addressed the media like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad delivered for him, bringing back the positive demeanor to his persona.
Emerging talents stepped up with vital performances. These are incremental gains, not nearly enough to ensure long-term stability, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this MCG win joins other historic performances in dead rubbers.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the squad assembled on the field to begin their own festivities.
Savour the moment, boys. It's well deserved.
