In a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink ensemble worn by Robbie Williams. The show in front of 100,024 spectators was hailed as a major hit.
Perhaps you don't like his music. Perhaps you believe he is the ultimate present to music the world has ever seen. Alternatively, you may hold a balanced view, admitting that some tracks are belting while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can manifest in countless ways. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to craft music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Long Game
Test cricket boasts peerless complexity. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dependent on the environment.
The weather, the hour of play, the ball – the list is endless. Crucially is the pitch.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the players paint their masterpiece.
A Test of Cubism: The MCG Match
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport taken to pieces and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which yielded a victory and the second two-day Test of the contest.
Leaving excessive grass on the surface, resulting in numerous dismissals falling in less than two days, is not a fair contest between offense and defense.
A Varied History: The Essence of Test Cricket
But any idea this was a inferior show, one that should be footnoted as inauthentic, is wide of the mark.
The format is a varied portfolio, a long history and counting. Sometimes, as seen at the MCG, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. In contrast, it spins sharply on a dust bowl. Sometimes, the pitch is dead, other times it bounces unevenly.
The exciting finishes are even more exciting due to the time devoted elsewhere.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Some factors are tolerated more freely than others.
The argument in Melbourne was that the equilibrium was weighted unfairly towards the attack. That the top batters were unable from showcasing their talents.
The format is about adapting to challenges – interpreting the wicket and adjusting appropriately. The top two individual contributions were made by acknowledged players. One line-up was less disciplined than the other, and thus lost.
Sheer Celebration: For Those Who Waited
Try telling the fans who have suffered 18 winless matches that this wasn't compelling.
In one section of the MCG, thousands celebrated and chanted, fostering a party atmosphere in a stronghold of sport.
There was optimism as the attack excelled, impetus when players responded, and unconditional love when the result was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Variety of Test Matches
The Melbourne has form with controversial surfaces. Eight years ago, a Test there featured a pitch with the excitement of a a damp squib.
That contest was a marathon, with limited drama and interminable tedium. This recent match and that drawn affair are polar opposites of the range – neither the standard, yet value can be found in them.
Four Tests into the ongoing battle, it is the two-day matches that will remain iconic in the collective consciousness.
"This isn't the death of Test cricket at all," said a former player. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these short time have been experienced some genuine drama. A unique show."
Signs of Progress: Looking Ahead
In the preparation to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the enormous pressure on his mind.
The squad responded for him, restoring the positive demeanor to his persona.
New faces stepped up with crucial roles. These are incremental gains, hardly enough to guarantee long-term stability, but something to build on.
Ultimately, this MCG win is added to other memorable performances in similar circumstances.
As the crowd left into a glorious Melbourne evening, the players congregated on the outfield to begin their own enjoyment.
Celebrate the win, boys. You've earned this one.
